Esther’s Eggplant Panini

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From the kitchen of professional chef, Matt C!  Getting ready for those tasty summertime eggplants!

Make 4 sandwiches

Roasted Eggplant Slices:

• 2 pounds eggplant, skin partially trimmed, sliced into rounds
• 1 tablespoon cumin, ground
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Salt & pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup tomato chutney, prepared
• 1 cup feta, crumbled
• 4 herb flatbreads

Tahini Sauce

• 1 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup (or more) hot water

Spoon the tahini into medium bowl. Add lemon juice and whisk until smooth. Add 1/2 cup hot water and whisk until well blended, adding more hot water if mixture is very thick. Season to taste with salt.

Preheat a barbecue grill or chargrill on medium.

Slice the eggplant flesh diagonally into ½” think slabs.

Brush the eggplant with the oil and rub the garlic into it. Sprinkle with the cumin, salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes each side or until lightly charred and tender. Set aside until ready to use.

Assemble and Serve: Spread the tomato chutney on 2 pieces of flatbread, top with eggplant, then feta and a drizzle of the tahini dressing. Top with the remaining flatbread. Grill the sandwich on both sides with a small amount of olive oil on either a Panini press or a medium-high griddle. Cut and serve immediately.