Eggplant Relish Crostini

Soupereasy and I enjoyed this very much as part of one of our regular cooking lunches. Although Emeril's directions have you saute the eggplant and then cool it before adding the other ingredients, we added the kalamata olives and roasted red pepper (we used jarred) toward the end of the cooking time for the eggplant. We thought that cooking these together would help blend the flavors and I think we were right. I only wish we had added the garlic at that time as well since the raw garlic was a bit too strong and threw off the balance of the flavors a bit. Sauteing it with the eggplant would have taken the edge off the garlic and it would have contributed to the overall flavor rather than fighting with it. We also used some of the vinegar called for in the recipe to deglaze the saute pan for the eggplant so that we wouldn't lose that carmelization in the bottom of the pan.

This kept very well in the refrigerator for several days and the flavor only improved over time.