Name: The Good Farm Cookbook: Grilled eggplant and lentil salad with lemon-mint dressing
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 2 medium eggplants, trimmed and cut into wedges; 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 cup (200g) tinned green or brown lentils, drained and rinsed; 1 cup (150g) mixed cherry tomatoes, halved; ½ preserved lemon (optional), roughly chopped; ¼ cup (40g) pine nuts, toasted; ⅔ cup (100g) crumbled feta (optional); ¼ bunch mint leaves; lemon-mint dressing; ¼ cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil; ¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice; 1 tsp honey; ¼ cup (15g) mint leaves, finely chopped; 1 tsp dijon mustard

With a focus on ethical proteins, wholefoods, low sugar and gluten-free eating, Matilda Brown and Scott Gooding’s new The Good Farm Cookbook is a collection of everyday family recipes for a nourishing, hopeful life.

Whether you’ve made a commitment to no-meat Mondays or you’re simply keen to bring more plant-based meals into your recipe rotation, Matilda and Scott’s grilled eggplant and lentil salad is an easy and flavourful dish that we guarantee you’re going to make again and again.

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants, trimmed and cut into wedges

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 cup (200g) tinned green or brown lentils, drained and rinsed

1 cup (150g) mixed cherry tomatoes, halved

½ preserved lemon (optional), roughly chopped

¼ cup (40g) pine nuts, toasted

⅔ cup (100g) crumbled feta (optional)

¼ bunch mint leaves

lemon-mint dressing

¼ cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice

1 tsp honey

¼ cup (15g) mint leaves, finely chopped

1 tsp dijon mustard

Method

Preheat your barbecue (if you have one) or a chargrill pan to a medium-high heat.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggplant, olive oil, cumin and paprika. Season and place on the hot barbecue or in the chargrill pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until lightly charred. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a jar, seal and shake vigorously. Or you can whisk them by hand in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a serving bowl or dish, combine the lentils, eggplant, tomatoes and preserved lemon, if using. Drizzle the dressing on top and toss lightly to mix. Garnish with the toasted pine nuts, feta (if using) and mint leaves. Check and adjust the seasoning and serve.

This is an edited extract from The Good Farm Cookbook by Scott Gooding and Matilda Brown with photography by Cath Muscat, published by Murdoch Books, $39.99.