Fairy Tale Eggplant & Spinach Flatbreads

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut the eggplants into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Snap off and discard the stem ends of the green beans. Halve the tomatoes. Peel and mince the garlic and ginger. Using a peeler, remove the yellow rind of the lemon, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester). Quarter and deseed the lemon. In a large bowl, combine half the garlic, half the ginger and the juice of all 4 lemon wedges; season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Working in batches, add the spinach; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes per batch, or until wilted. Transfer to a strainer; hold or rest the strainer over a bowl. Using a spoon, press down to release as much liquid as possible; discard the liquid. Transfer to a cutting board and finely chop. Transfer the chopped spinach to a bowl; stir in the crème fraîche, remaining garlic and ginger and up to half the red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Stir to thoroughly combine; season with salt and pepper to taste. Wipe out the pan.

In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the eggplants in a single, even layer. Cook, turning halfway through, 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until lightly browned and softened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl. Wipe out the pan.

Lightly oil a sheet pan. Place the bread on the prepared sheet pan. Evenly top with the creamed spinach, cooked eggplants and cheese; season with salt and pepper. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven; transfer to a cutting board.

While the flatbreads bake, in the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the green beans; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add as much of the remaining red pepper flakes as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until softened and fragrant. Transfer to the bowl of dressing.

While the flatbreads continue to bake, add the tomatoes to the bowl of cooked green beans and dressing; stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. To make the lemon oil, in a bowl, combine the lemon zest and 1 teaspoon of olive oil; season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle as much of the lemon oil as you’d like over the baked flatbreads (you may have extra oil). Cut the flatbreads in half and divide between 2 dishes. Serve with the salad on the side. Enjoy!