Ingredients

• 4  Japanese eggplants
• 4  red sweet peppers
• 2  Vidalia or other sweet onions, quartered
• 2  Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1  Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2  tsp. snipped fresh rosemary
•  
•   Salsa Romesco*
• 2  dried New Mexico or ancho chile peppers
• 1/2  cup blanched almonds
• 1/2  cup olive oil
• 1  slice** French bread, about 1/2 inch thick
• 1  small chile de arbol, seeded and crumbled, or 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper***
• 1  cup chopped, peeled and seeded tomato (2 medium)
• 6  cloves garlic, sliced
• 1/4  cup red wine vinegar
• 3/4  tsp. salt
• 3  Tbsp. olive oil

Directions

1. For a charcoal grill, place vegetables on the grill rack directly over medium coals. Cover and grill eggplants for 10 minutes, turning once. Grill peppers and onions for 15 to 20 minutes or until skin is charred, turning every 5 minutes. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place vegetables on grill rack over heat. Grill as above.) Place a large paper bag on a tray; put vegetables in bag. Close bag and let stand 15 minutes.

2. Remove vegetables from the bag; peel and discard burnt skin. Seed the peppers and cut them into strips. Cut eggplant into chunks and separate onions. Arrange all vegetables on a platter. Combine oil, vinegar, and rosemary; drizzle over vegetables. Serve vegetables with Salsa Romesco. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

3. *Salsa Romesco: In a bowl, cover dried peppers with boiling water. Let stand for 15 minutes. Drain. Remove stems and seeds from peppers and discard. Coarsely chop peppers. Set aside. In a small skillet, roast almonds over medium-low heat about 8 minutes or until nuts are lightly toasted, shaking pan frequently. Set aside.

4. In a large skillet, heat the 1/2 cup oil over medium heat. Add bread; cook about 1 minute on each side until browned. Remove bread from skillet and set aside. In the same oil, cook the New Mexico and chile de arbol peppers for 1 minute. Add tomato and garlic; cook for 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat and cool mixture slightly.

5. Transfer tomato mixture, including the oil, to a food processor. Cover and process with several on/off turns. Add almonds and bread; process to make a thick puree. Add vinegar, salt, and the 3 tablespoons olive oil. Process until combined. Serve with Roasted Vegetable. Makes 1-3/4 cups.

6. **For a thicker mixture that can be used as a spread, use two slices of French bread.

7. ***Note: Because hot chile peppers contain volatile oils that can burn your skin and eyes, avoid direct contact with chile. When working with chile peppers, wear plastic or rubber gloves. If your bare hands do touch the chile peppers, wash your hands well with soap and water.