I was excited to snip some lemon thyme for my favorite grilled eggplant. File this under EASY RECIPE . Make it once and you will be hooked for life!

INGREDIENTS

2 large eggplants
1/3 cup olive oil (adjust as needed)
1 1/2 tsp. (fresh) lemon thyme plus a few sprigs for garnish
Maldon Sea Salt & pepper
1 pomegranate
1 tsp. za’ater

Sauce

9 tbsp. buttermilk
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 clove of crushed garlic
a pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400F
Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise
Place diagonal incisions (diamond shape) on the cut side of the eggplant ( do not pierce the skin)
Brush eggplants with oil until absorbed by the flesh – I added more oil.
sprinkle with fresh lemon thyme, salt and pepper
Roast for 35-40 minutes until nicely browned
While the eggplant is roasting, remove pomegranate seeds and prepare the buttermilk sauce
Refrigerate sauce until eggplant has completely roasted
Top eggplant with sauce, sprinkle pomegranate seeds and za-atar on top with a drizzle of oil
Garnish with lemon thyme

Spice Of Life

We need to roast more veggies! A high-heat cooking method that brings out the best flavors in vegetables. Also, bland vegetables like eggplant and zucchini are vessels for spices to make something delicious.

Maldon Sea Salt

Maldon Salt is an English sea-salt. It comes in large, thin, uneven, crunchy salt flakes that have a very clean, pure salt taste. I buy it at my local grocery store.
If they don’t have it, get your grocer to order it. Just ask!

The Za’atar shrub is common to the middle east and Turkey. ( It looks like oregano. ) You can grow your own plant if you can get the seeds or starter plant.

Home Made Za’atar … Jamie Oliver’s Food TV

Za’atar is one of the few spices you can eat with a spoon. Full of Nutrition.

You can buy Maldon salt flakes and za’atar online. Jamie Oliver provides the recipe for make your own za’atar blend . A healthy concoction that tastes amazing! The secret ingredient for this middle eastern recipe. It’s delicious! The day I made this recipe, I didn’t have buttermilk or milk. I did have Greek yogurt and another tangy plain yogurt I use in recipes. Today, it’s a substitute for buttermilk. You can make your own buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of regular milk. The za’atar and lemon thyme makes such a difference. I can not say enough about how really fantastic it tastes. It’s one of those recipes you will make again and again.