grilled zucchini canapes

As I mentioned in the last post, I made some Swedish rye bread. I actually tried to adjust the bread's ingredients to make a sweeter, more like pumpernickel, flavor. Unfortunately, it did not taste exactly like I wanted, which made me want to tweak the recipe some more. I will update once those trials happen. But anyways, I found myself with two loaves of bread needing a purpose. These canapes were a solution, since they actually called for a pumpernickel bread.

Roasting the peppers were really easy, nothing to be intimidated by. I just placed them directly on the trivet of my stove over medium-high heat. It will start to blister and may even pop slightly, but that's quite all right. Turn to char all sides and once completely blackened, place in a bowl covered by plastic wrap for 15 minutes. The steam will loosen the charred skin for easy removal. Remove the skin, core, and seeds.

Got to use the mandoline from E. again, I love it, one of my new favorite kitchen supplies. Makes thin slicing easier than boiling water. I wish I had this little wonder when I made potato crusted halibut last year. Had to make paper thin slices of potatoes with my chef's knife, not necessarily a task for a novice. Anyways, I was in no way about to take out the outdoor grill for a few zucchinis, so I just used my electric George Foreman grill. Worked completely fine and I'm sure the grill pans for your stove will work perfectly as well.

These were pretty good for being basically all vegetables. Make sure you season generously as mine came out a bit bland. The roasted flavor comes through nicely and the peppers added a slight sweetness. I think I would have liked to add a slice of prosciutto or smoked ham, or if adjusted for a lunch portion a piece of grilled chicken. Nonetheless this was a nice change in how sandwich components are perceived.

Grilled Zucchini Canapes

makes 2 dozen

1 small eggplant (10 oz)

2 1/2 oz feta cheese

12 1/4-inch-thick slices of pumpernickel bread

6 oz baby zucchini or 2 6 oz zucchini

2 large roasted red bell peppers

sea salt and pepper

olive oil

Preheat oven to 400. Place whole eggplant on baking sheet and roast until the skin buckles and the flesh is cooked throughout, 30-40 minutes. If using a larger eggplant, cut in half and place cut side down. Scrap cooked eggplant into food processor and process until as smooth as possible. Set aside to cool. Crumble in the feta and process until blended. Season.

Reduce oven heat to 300. Toast bread slices on baking sheet, about 5-7 minutes per side. Cut into 2 1/2 by 3 inch pieces.

Slice zucchini lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices using mandoline. Heat grill. Brush zucchini with olive oil and grill until light grill marks appear.

Cut roasted peppers into about 2 1/2 by 3 inch pieces. Spread each bread slice with eggplant puree. Place a roasted bell pepper over the puree and arrange zucchini slices on top, parallel with the short end of the bread. Trim crusts and cut each piece into 2 rectangles.