Grilled Eggplant with Basil-Artichoke Pesto

They keep rolling in from the garden, so here's another eggplant recipe. This time I marinated eggplant cutlets in a mix of olive oil, vinegars, and herbs, and grilled them on my trusty George Foreman grill. I try to keep the kitchen as gadget-limited as possible (partly because my kitchen is tiny, partly because I try to avoid accumulating stuff), but the Foreman is perfect in the right situation. It's great for grilling tofu and tempeh, and all kinds of veggies. These are topped with lots of lemony basil pesto and artichoke quarters, and a handful of toasted pine nuts.

1 medium-large eggplant
Eggplant marinade ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar

1. Cut the eggplant vertically in 1/2 inch slices. Combine the marinade ingredients, and pour over eggplant slices in a baking dish or ziploc bag. Let sit for at least an hour, or overnight, tossing the pieces around a couple times to make sure everything gets seasoned.

2. I grilled the eggplant for around 10 minutes, shifting halfway through to get some nice grill marks. The outsides were just a little crispy, and the interior was tender and creamy.

Pesto
2 cups fresh basil
1/4 cup walnuts
1 tbsp. pine nuts
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup canned quartered artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed

1. Use a food processor or blender to grind up everything but the artichokes. I mixed the artichokes in next. Top the eggplant slices with the pesto (preferably at room temperature) and sprinkle with lightly toasted pine nuts or more walnut bits.