March 2012 - Vintage cheddar & prosciutto toasties with spicy tomato & eggplant relish

I haven't forgotten about my delicious magazine recipe for this month. It was just that I had trouble deciding what to make. It wasn't that I couldn't find recipes in it that I wanted to try. I mean the Plum Tray Bake on the front cover is just glorious looking and I am sure it would be wonderful. My main problem was that I was stuck on really wanting to make David Prior's Breakfast Ful. It sounded just like something I would love for breakfast. The only problem was that it used dried broad beans and I couldn't find them any where. Well, that is not exactly true, I did find them in one online store but I didn't really want anything else so by the time the postage was added it really wasn't worth it. Oh well, I will buy them the next time I want other bits and pieces from that store and make the recipe then. 

I was also rather keen to make Ben O'Donoghue's Crispy rice pancakes with potato & chickpeas. It is a really lovely sounding vegetarian meal and something just a little bit different.  I didn't have any rice flour but that could have easily been rectified at the supermarket. Truth is that I just didn't feel like making them. Although I do hope to give it a try one day. 

What I ended up making was my version of Katie Quinn Davies Vintage cheddar & prosciutto toasties with spicy tomato & eggplant relish. I did a real cheat's version of the relish. Katie's recipe involved roasting fresh tomatoes for 2 hours, char-grilling capsicums and eggplant but as you will see I didn't do all of that. I wanted to use up some of the jars of stuff in the fridge and it was so easy and it is so, so good. I will definitely be making it again, my way. The actual toasties are fabulous too. I can't wait to use the relish on other things though. I am thinking it will be wonderful on a roasted portabello mushroom and made into a burger. 

 Vintage cheddar & prosciutto toasties with spicy tomato & eggplant relish

4 thick slices sourdough bread 

4 slices prosciutto 

1 cup coarsely grated vintage cheese 

Spicy tomato & eggplant relish 

1 tbsp olive oil 

1/2 red onion, finely chopped 

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

20 sundried tomato halves, drained and torn into pieces 

1/2 jar of piquillo peppers, torn into pieces 

1/2 jar marinated grilled eggplant, drained and torn into pieces 

100 ml tomato passata 

1/2 c apple cider vinegar 

2 tbsp red wine vinegar 

1 tsp hot smoked paprika

For relish: 

Heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and saute onion until soft. Add garlic and cook for a further minute. Add remaining ingredients bring to the boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about an hour or until thickened and vegetables are starting to break down. 

For toasties: 

Toast bread on both sides under a hot grill. Then spread with relish top with prosciutto and cheese and grill until cheese is melted & bubbling. Serve with rocket on the side.