Crostini With Eggplant And Pine Nut Puree

• 1 pound eggplant
• Olive oil
• 13 cup pine nuts
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• Sea salt
• Fresh lemon juice to taste
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• Toasted baguette slices, or crackers
• Whole basil leaves for garnish

1. Heat broiler.
2. Peel, and trim eggplant, and slice into rounds about 1/2 inch thick.
3. Lightly brush both sides of each slice with oil, arrange on a sheet pan, and broil about 6 inches from heat until golden, 7 to 10 minutes.
4. Turn, and brown the second side.
5. Remove from broiler, and stack slices so they steam to finish cooking.
6. Toast pine nuts in a small skillet over low heat, shaking often, until golden.
7. Cool.
8. Using a large mortar and pestle, grind pine nuts with garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth.
9. Coarsely chop eggplant, add to mixture, and work into a somewhat rough puree with the pestle or in a food processor.
10. Add a little lemon juice to sharpen the flavor.
11. Taste for salt; add more if needed, and season with pepper.
12. Stir in herbs.
13. Spread on baguette slices or crackers, and garnish with a basil leaf.

eggplant, olive oil, nuts, garlic, salt, lemon juice, freshly ground pepper, mint, parsley, basil, baguette slices, basil

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/10747 (may not work)