Melange of Roasted Summer Vegetables with Poached Eggs and Basil Chevre Cream

When summer is at its peak, I can think of nothing better than a nice big pile of roasted veg.  Eggplant, corn, peppers, zucchini...I love it all, the beautiful colors like confetti on my plate.  A few nights back I raided my fridge, and found lots of veggies to roast.  I tossed them with a little olive oil, threw them in the oven, combined them, and what resulted was an intensely flavored beautifully colored dinner, just what I crave in the summer.  I call it a melange, because it was many different veggies, contributing different delicious flavors and textures. 

I topped my veggies off with poached eggs for protein, because I love the way they ooze silky rich yolks when you cut into them.  They were the perfect accompaniment to my veggies with some crusty bread for dinner.  I also included a bit of creamy chevre to add some richness and textural contrast to the veggies.  It was a delicious hearty meal showcasing local prouce at its best!  This is the way I feel I should eat every night.  Whatever veggies you have laying around you should try this out, feel free to substitute for my list with veggies local to your neck of the woods! 

Melange of Roasted Summer Vegetables with Poached Eggs and Basil Chevre Cream

Serves 3

Olive oil

1 large eggplant, cut into large dice

2 medium zucchini, halved and sliced thickly

1 cup fresh corn kernals

12 crimini mushrooms

2 red bell peppers, cut julienne

1 bunch scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes

sea salt to taste

red pepper flakes, to taste

1/4 cup fresh basil

2 Tbsp fresh oregano

2 Tbsp fresh parsley

Chevre Cream:

3 oz chevre

goat milk (enough to thin)

2 Tbsp fresh basil, minced

Poached eggs:
1 tsp vinegar

1/2 tsp sea salt

3 cups water

6 large organic eggs

To roast veggies, preheat oven to 475 degrees, line 2 large baking sheets with foil, and spray with non-stick spray.  Toss eggplant, zucchini, peppers, mushrooms, corn and scallions with just enough oil to coat and spread out on 2 pans.  Roast for about 15 to 20 minutes, until veggies are tender and starting to brown at edges.  Remove from oven.  Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan and add garlic.  Saute for a minute until fragrant, then add balsamic, tomatoes, sea salt, red pepper flakes, and let simmer for 10 minutes.  When other veggies are done roasting add them to the pot, along with the herbs and stir to combine.  Remove from heat and keep warm. 

To poach eggs, heat water to a simmer in a medium saucepan with the vinegar and salt. Crack an egg into a ramakin. Stir water with a spoon to swirl, and carefully pour egg into it. Let cook for 3-4 minutes or preferred doneness, and remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with other eggs.

To make chevre cream, mix chevre with just enough goat milk to make it the consistency of sour cream, then stir in basil.

To plate, spoon the veggie mixture between each of 3 plates dividing evenly, then top each with 2 poached eggs and a little of the chevre cream.  Sprinkle eggs with a little fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper if desired.  Serve!