Red Pepper Eggplant Confit

To roast the peppers, place the oven-rack to the highest position in the oven and preheat the broiler. The rack should be no more than 6" -inches from the broiler. Spray a baking tray with non-stick vegetable spray and set aside. Cut the peppers in half. Remove the stems and seeds. Place the peppers on the tray cut side down and place under the broiler for about 13 to 15 minutes or until the skin is charred and bubbly. You may need to move them around under the broiler for even coloring. Once done, place the charred peppers into a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap for at least 15 minutes. While the peppers are steaming, move onto the next step.

Move the oven rack back to the middle position and turn the oven down to 375° degrees Fahrenheit. For easy clean-up, line your baking trays with foil or parchment and set aside. Peel and dice the eggplant into approximately 1" -inch cubes. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Peel and smash the garlic just to break it up a bit. Add to the eggplant. Mix in the olive oil, salt, and crushed chili flakes. Toss to evenly coat. Using a strainer, drain and crush the canned tomatoes, just to remove any excess liquid. Add the strained tomatoes to the eggplant and fold everything together. Set aside while you peel and dice the peppers.

Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and discard. Dice the peppers into approximately 1" -inch pieces. Add them to the eggplant and toss everything together. Use your hands to lift the ingredients out onto the lined baking trays, leaving as much liquid behind as you can. Make sure you do not overcrowd the mix, otherwise it will steam rather than roast. Place the baking trays into the oven and roast for 50 minutes to an hour. Stir the vegetables a few times during roasting to ensure they cook evenly. The confit is ready when the eggplant and garlic are both very soft. Before serving the confit, let the mixture cool on the tray for at least 15 minutes.

To start the crostini, keep the oven at 375° degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the baguette into 1/2" -inch slices and place the pieces onto a tray lined with parchment. Brush lightly with the olive oil. Bake oil side up for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly golden. While the bread is cooking, peel the garlic and set aside. Once the bread is ready, lightly rub the oiled side with the raw garlic while the bread is still warm. Sprinkle with a little grey salt to taste. Serve the crostini alongside a big bowl of the red pepper confit. For individual appetizers, spoon a tablespoon of the confit over top of each crostini then add a dollop of goat cheese or feta to finish.