Tea Inpired

After all the tea parties I've been to recently, both big and small, I've decided to become re-acquainted with the sandwich. I've never loved sandwiches. At least, not as a daily thing. But I definitely recognize that there are some darn good sandwiches out there. Tea sandwiches are some of the cutest, so I decided to start my sandwich kick with a tea-inspired sandwich spread.

This spread turned out great. I would recommend it for a party dip served with veggies or pita chips for dipping. It's good on focaccia bread with fixins, as pictured here.


It's also good as a wrap or as a simple but elegant tea sandwich. I know all of these statements are true because this recipe makes A LOT! Beware...


I should also mention that I've made a lot of roasted veggies in my day.


I find that the quickest and neatest way to toss them with olive oil is to use your {superbly clean} hands. Really ~ just get down and dirty. It works especially well if you have cute little hands like these:


I love having a little helper in the kitchen!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Roasted Eggplant Spread
Inspired by Ina Garten

• 1 medium eggplant
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded
• 1 red onion, peeled
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 can canellini or white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the eggplant, bell pepper, and onion into 1-inch cubes. Place them on a baking sheet, then toss by hand with the garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly browned and soft, turning once during cooking.

Cool slightly.

Place the vegetables in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the drained beans, and pulse to blend. Taste for salt and pepper.