Eggplant & "Herder's Cheese" Strudel

This is a delicious and very easy dish, that can be enjoyed warm or cold. I came up with it, when I had to use up puff pastry and aubergines. I used a turkish speciality, "herder's cheese", which you can usually buy at oriental supermarkets (in jars), It's crumbly, aromatic in taste and sort of like curd. Feta works as well.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 1
• Yields: 4 slices

Ingredients

• 1  large eggplant
• 250  g  herder's cheese (or feta)
• 150  g ricotta cheese (or cream cheese)
• 1  sheet puff pastry (about 200g)
• 50  g walnuts (roasted and chopped)
• 2 -3  garlic cloves
• 3  tablespoons olive oil
•  fresh mixed herbs (parsley, dill weed, chives, ...)
•  salt and pepper
•  water (to sprinkle over puff pastry)

Directions

1. Cut eggplant into half inch thick rounds.
2. Line baking tray with non stick baking sheet.
3. Preheat oven to 225°C.
4. Place eggplant slices on tray and sprinkle with 3TB olive oil and salt.
5. Bake slices until browned and fragrant (about 15 minutes).
6. In the meantime mix herder's cheese (or crumbled feta) with ricotta (or creamcheese), chopped nuts and herbs, minced garlic cloves as well as salt and pepper (to taste).
7. When the aubergine slices are done, take out of oven and let cool.
8. Place puff pastry on non stick baking paper and brush sides with cold water.
9. Spread cheese/nut mixture on about two thirds of pastry (leave about half an inch on the sides empty).
10. Arrange eggplant slices on top of cheese mixture.
11. Fold in pastry from the right and left side and then roll to a strudel, bottom to top.
12. Brush water on the strudel and bake at 200°C, for 15 to 20 minute until browned. You can also sprinkle with sesame seeds before baking.
13. Serve with sour cream and/or salad or cut in slices and serve cold as finger food.