PARTNER POST: Dive into the 120 days of summer with Santa Rita wines that pair perfectly with the foods of the season, straight off the grill.
Well seasoned and grilled to perfection, this colorful eggplant and turmeric bowl is a perfectly refreshing summer dish that can be cooked outside.
This is my summer gift to you for your first outdoor meal of June: grilled or baked spiced eggplant, couscous and a bunch of other mix ins. Together you get the balance we always talk about here. There’s something warm and something cool. Something salty, savory, sweet, tart…seriously. We’ve got it all. Including a wine pairing. And even as a self proclaimed eggplant hater, I could not get enough of this recipe. 
I know lots of people are all about the rosé for summer but my personal favorite is a sauvignon blanc. If you’re not really a wine person, this is actually a great wine for you. Not overly oaky like some Chardonnays. Not too light. It’s fruity and bright. In general, I think it’s a real crowd pleaser of a wine.
For more grilling inspiration with Santa Rita, check out this grilled Chilean chicken and pebre sauce.
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Ingredients
- 1 medium egg plant
- 4 T olive oil
- 3 t Badia complete seasoning
- 4 T harissa
- 4 T plain strained yogurt (I use Icelandic Siggi’s but a Greek yogurt works too)
- 5 kalamata olives (sliced and pitted)
- 1/2 C fresh salsa
- 1 C couscous (dry)
- 1 1/2 C chicken stock or water
- 2 t turmeric
- 5 links pork sausage (apple brown sugar)
- 1/8 C cilantro leaves (torn)
- 1/8 C mint leaves (torn)
- 1/2 lemon
- black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Slice eggplant in half lengthwise. Cross hatch eggplant without piercing the skin. Put on parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with Badia seasoning. Cook for 20 minutes in the oven OR wrap in foil and cook on covered grill until easily pierced with fork.
- While the eggplant is cooking, bring stock or water to a boil. Whisk in cous cous. Remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and stir in turmeric to combine.
- Cook sausage. On a large platter, fill the center with couscous. Add ingredients around and grind fresh black pepper over top. Serve with Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc.
- Category: Main
