Roast Garlic Ajvar

Ajvar is a delicious Croation Capsicum and Eggplant relish. It is most commonly used as a condiment to roast meats, it has however become one of my pantry staples.

I add it to almost every dish I make for a spicy kick, a little sweetness, or for a little more complexity. It gives another layer of flavour to a pasta sauce, is a yum and simple pizza-base sauce, it is great on a sandwich and even greater mixed into scrambled eggs just before they are done. More so it is great dolloped on top of a brekkie of sauté spinach mushies & crusty rye toast... I could go on and on!!!

The meat eating Croatians have given us vegos something great here... So go on give it a whirl it might just become your secret special ingredient just as it has become mine

Ingredients
*2 red capsicum
*1 eggplant
*5 cloves garlic (still in skins)
*juice of 1/2 lemon
*1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
* 2 tbsp sweet paprika
*1 Birdseye chili
*1 long red chili
* flat leaf parsley to garnish
*s&p
* 3tbsn sweet vinegar (I used caramelized red wine vinegar)

Method

1) Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees. Rub a little olive oil on to capsicum and eggplant and garlic . Place on a baking tray and roast until a little soft and skins are puffed and a little blackened . The garlic should be soft but not blackened
2) once ready remove from oven and place in a sealed Tupperware or bowl covered w cling wrap or even a plastic bag tied shut
3) once cool enough to handle. Peel the skins from the veg and remove the seeds from the capsicum, plus ...if you can remove some of the excess seeds from the eggplant (don't be too fussy about this bit)
4) squeeze the roasted garlic out of skins and use a Bamix or blender or food processor to whiz the eggplant capsicum and garlic and chili to a smooth paste, slowly add the oil blending as you go until thick and creamy. Add paprika, s&p, lemon juice & vinegar to taste

If serving as a condiment garnish with parsley

Keep Ajvar in a jar in the fridge with a thin layer of oil to cover the top for approximately 1 week.

Xxx enjoy
Ba