Grilled Vegetable Towers

• Six 1/2-inch-thick slices country-style bread
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Japanese eggplants, cut into sixteen 1/4-to-1/2-inch-thick rounds
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup goat cheese, at room temperature (4 ounces)
• Zest of 1 large lemon
• 16 jarred sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• Special equipment: 1 3/4-inch round cookie cutter; 8 toothpicks

1. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.
2. Using a pastry brush, brush the bread on both sides with 1/3 cup oil.
3. Using a 1 3/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 4 circles from each slice of bread.
4. Grill the bread rounds until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes each side.
5. Toss the eggplant rounds with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and season with the salt.
6. Grill until tender, about 3 minutes on each side.
7. In a small bowl, mix together the goat cheese and lemon zest until smooth.
8. Spread about 3/4 teaspoon of the mixture on 8 grilled bread rounds.
9. Place an eggplant round on each and top with a sun-dried tomato.
10. Repeat the layers and top with the remaining bread slices.
11. Gently press the layers together.
12. Secure with toothpicks and serve.

bread, extravirgin olive oil, japanese eggplants, kosher salt, goat cheese, lemon, tomatoes, cutter

Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/grilled-vegetable-towers-recipe.html (may not work)