We have just come back from summer holidays in the Czech Republic, although I’m asking myself whether I should call it holidays as we would both need some extra days now to recover. 😀 Anyway, it was wonderful two weeks with my Czech family and friends. Initially, we did not have many plans but in the end, we were not bored any single minute! We enjoyed pleasant walks in my hometown, visited Poděbrady, Karlštejn castle, made a trip to Prague twice and spent some time also at the cottage where we could enjoy short hikes in the forest and swimming in the river. We could also enjoy some nice concerts! Thanks to my mum, we could also enjoy the blueberry season! She made us the traditional blueberry cake and blueberry dumplings with forest blueberries, I love them! We also finally introduced Adeline to the wider family, Czech friends and the Puppy dog of my parents. Unfortunately, we also had some sad time because one of our beloved cats was found dead. It was an exceptional cat, so sensitive, so caring, and besides that the only one that still remembers my beloved grandma and also met Adeline. But that’s life. 🙁
Today the little one was sleeping also during the day (I need to celebrate this!) so I could do some work here and finally publish a new summer recipe! It’s been quite a while, I knooow! I hope that you are enjoying nice summer days with your beloved ones and if you are already back from holidays or they are still awaiting you, don’t hesitate and try this healthy and easy to make eggplant caviar at some of your summer gatherings! Eggplant is probably my favorite vegetable, I love its soft texture and how it melts in the mouth. I love it on pasta, pizza, quiche, with rice, noodles, in rolls. or simply grilled on a sandwich.
The preparation of the eggplant caviar is very simple. Once you slice the eggplant lengthwise and sprinkle with olive oil, put it under the grill in the oven. When cooled down, peel off the skin and mix the pulp together with the rest of the ingredients such as garlic, cumin, paprika, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves before serving. The eggplant caviar is great with a baguette or crackers, but also as a dip for raw vegetables. If you make it, please let me know how it turned out via the below comments or share a picture on Instagram!
2 eggplants Preheat the grill in the oven to 200°C. Clean the eggplants and slice them in half lengthwise and place them on the baking tray lined with aluminum foil, cut side up. Spread the olive oil over the eggplants, sprinkle evenly with salt, and score them in a crosshatch pattern with a sharp knife. Grill for 30 minutes until soft, then allow to cool down for at least 5 minutes. Once the eggplants have cooled down, peel off the skin and place them together with garlic, ground cumin, paprika, and lemon juice to a food processor and process until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crackers, baguette or vegetable sticks, decorated with chopped basil leaves. 
Ingredients
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1-2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground paprika
2 tbsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Spoonful of chopped fresh basil leavesInstructions
