Eggplant, Tomato and Feta Muffins
I don’t know where I’ve been — have I missed the savory muffin movement? — but in Paris, it’s not that uncommon to find muffins and breads with all sorts of veggies stuffed inside.
When I first saw a recipe for ratatouille muffins (which this one’s based on) in Elle a Table magazine last year, I thought, Hmm, what an interesting idea. I need to try this someday. Since then, I’ve seen breads stuffed with just about every veggie imaginable, including whole pieces of broccoli (which looks really nice when sliced).
With summer around the corner, I thought that these would make nice hors d’oeuvres, especially in miniature. I love the combination of eggplant, feta, and tomato, and added some Kalamata olives, too, because I had a few on hand, and fresh basil.
You really could do whatever you wanted with this — add zucchini and make it really ratatouille-like, or swap out asparagus for the eggplant, or whatever you’re in the mood for. I used feta to keep the Mediterranean vibe, but any other cheese would work. I like that the batter is easy to mix up, and uses olive oil instead of butter — they’re kind of like France’s answer to cornbread muffins.
Eggplant, Tomato and Feta Muffins
Makes 16 regular size muffins
1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 pint (16 oz or 450 grams) cherry tomatoes, halved
6 oz feta (150 grams), crumbled
15 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
10 leaves basil, chopped
3 small leeks, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (220 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
3 ½ oz (10 cl) olive oil
4 large eggs
3 ½ oz (10 cl) whole milk
Preheat oven to 400F/200C
1. Lay the sliced eggplant on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (this will keep the eggplant from sticking). Put the cherry tomato halves on another parchment-lined cookie sheet, too. Drizzle the cherry tomatoes (not the eggplant) with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle a bit of sea salt and pepper on top. Roast the eggplant, then the tomatoes. Each will take 15-20 minutes. Set aside.
Turn the oven down to 350F/175C.
2. While you’re roasting the eggplant and tomatoes, in a medium skillet, drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the leeks and the garlic. Turn on medium-low and cook until the leeks begin to soften, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, and add the milk and olive oil. Add the flour mixture and combine. Gently fold in the veggies and garlic, olives, feta, and basil. With a spoon or scoop, put batter in lined muffin tins, filling just under the top. Bake for about 20 minutes or until muffins are a bit firm to the touch. Serve warm or room temperature.
