Seared Baby Eggplant with Mozzarella and Basil Oil

Local summer vegetables are so easy to come by right now, and I always look forward to going to the Green Market to get my weekly supply. One vegetable that is at its peak now is eggplant, and I was getting my weekly supply from the farmers each Saturday. Lately, however, Natalie has been providing us with beautiful Japanese and baby eggplants from her parents' garden. We're on an eggplant-eating kick now, so be prepared to see alot of eggplant recipes!

I found this one in a Vegetarian Times magazine, but I didn't have enough fresh basil to make the oil myself so I bought some Basil Olive Oil that I found at the Fresh Market. Also, none of the farmers had any leeks today, so I used scallions instead. Use the link above to use the original recipe: I am posting the modifications that I needed to make.

Ingredients
1 large baby eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
1 scallion, finely chopped
2 tbsp basil oil, divided
1/4 cup tightly packed basil leaves
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
fresh mozzarella, sliced into thick rounds
1 tbsp capers

Directions
1. Generously salt the eggplant slices and place in a colander to release the liquid for 45 minutes. Rinse, and pat dry.
2. Heat the basil oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant slices and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Flip the eggplant and add the white wine vinegar. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pan. Cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the white wine vinegar has evaporated and the second side of the eggplant is lightly browned.
3. Meanwhile, finely chop the basil. 
4. To serve, place a small dollops of basil oil on the plate, and sprinkle each dollop with basil. top with mozzarella. Add a sprinkle of basil and a slice of eggplant to each piece of mozzarella and repeat this layering until you have run out of eggplant slices. Top each stack with basil, chopped scallions, and capers.

Serves 2