South African - Roasted Eggplant Salad

This recipe is from a website called South African Traditional Recipes and has been posted here for the ZWT-7 Tour of South Africa. It sounds excellent.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 lbs eggplants
• 1  bell pepper, red
• 1⁄3 cucumber, English
• 1⁄4 red onion, small
• 1⁄2 garlic, clove, small
• 3  tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
• 2  tablespoons lemon juice, fresh
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Directions

1. To roast the eggplants, preheat a charcoal or gas grill or a broiler.
2. Roast the eggplants, turning as needed, until the skin is charred on all sides, the time will vary depending on the cooking method you use.
3. The eggplant is cooked when it is soft and looks somewhat deflated.
4. Place the eggplant on a plate to cool.
5. Trim and seed the red pepper, then cut into 1/4-inch dice.
6. Cut the cucumber lengthwise in half, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, and cut into ¼-inch dice.
7. Peel and finely chop the onion.
8. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
9. Once the eggplant is cool enough to handle, remove as much of the skin as possible along with any large dark seeds.
10. Cut the eggplant into 1-inch squares and place it in a colander in the sink or over a bowl for 5 to 10 minutes to allow excess liquid to drain, set aside until needed.
11. Transfer the eggplant to a serving dish and add the red pepper, cucumber, onion and garlic.
12. Stir in the olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
13. Serve immediately or the salt will draw out too much moister from the vegetables.