Recipe: Vegetable Roll with Balsamic Dressing

Vegetable Roll
Serves 4 to 6

2 red peppers roasted and cut into 1 inch thick strips
1 medium eggplant
3 zucchini
2 large potatoes
salt & pepper
olive oil
1/2 pound goat cheese
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated
1 bunch basil, leaves removed and washed

Garnish:
1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup small tasty black olives
2 cups spring salad mix

Balsamic Dressing:
1/4 cup quality balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped black olives

Mix all salad ingredients together and let sit at least one hour for the flavors to develop.

To make the vegetable roll:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. F.

Cut the potatoes into thin slices (a mandolin works best), and place on an oiled baking sheet.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft, and are beginning to take on color.

Peel the eggplant, cut in half, and remove a good portion of the center containing seeds. Cut the eggplant into slices, place on a baking sheet, and brush with olive oil.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until the eggplant has soften and cooked through. Let cool, and chop into pieces.

Slice the zucchini into thin slices, and bake as you did the potatoes, until softened, about 10 minutes.

Prepare three sheets of foil, by laying them on top of each other to create a rectangle. Oil the top layer of foil.

Using the potato slices, arrange an overlapping rectangle of about 12 x 12 inches. Season with salt and pepper. Place the zucchini slices in a similar fashion on top of the potatoes. Down one side, place an overlapping layer of the pepper strips. Immediately next to the pepper strips, add a row of the eggplant. Repeat this step so you have two alternating rows of eggplant and peppers at one end. Lay on top of the eggplant and peppers, a row of basil leaves.

Mix together the goat cheese and mozzarella, and spoon this mixture on the eggplant/pepper mixture. Starting at the end where the eggplant/pepper mixture was placed, carefully roll up the vegetable mixture tightly into a tube, using the foil to help as needed. Secure the ends by twisting the foil, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

Roast the cherry tomatoes in a 400 degree F. oven until they split and begin to blacken. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Remove the vegetable roll from the refrigerator, and leaving the foil in place, cut four equal slices.

Heat a frying pan with a little additional oil, fry each slice of vegetable roll on both sides for 3-4 minutes.

Place each slice on an individual plate, place a little salad mix on top and drizzle with the balsamic dressing. Decorate the plate with the roasted tomatoes and black olives. Serve, and enjoy!