Roasted Eggplant Pitas

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Heat a small pot of salted water to boiling on high. Heat a separate, small saucepan of water to boiling on high. Wash and dry the eggplant; halve lengthwise, then cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick pieces. Place on a sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer. Roast, flipping halfway through, 20 to 22 minutes, or until browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Leaving the oven on, remove the roasted eggplant from the oven. Set aside in a warm place.

While the eggplant roasts, add the farro to the pot of salted boiling water. Cook, uncovered, 16 to 18 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot.

While the farro cooks, carefully add the egg to the saucepan of boiling water; cook for exactly 9 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water for 30 seconds to 1 minute to stop the cooking process. When cool enough to handle, carefully peel the cooked egg. Transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop; season with salt and pepper.

While the egg cooks, wash and dry the remaining fresh produce. Halve the tomatoes; place in a bowl and season with salt. Cut out and discard the stem, ribs, and seeds of the pepper. Medium dice. Reserving the pickling liquid, thinly slice the pickled shallot. Roughly chop the parsley leaves and stems. Using a peeler, remove the rind of the lemon, avoiding the pith; mince to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester). Quarter and deseed the lemon. Peel and finely chop the garlic; using the flat side of your knife, smash until it resembles a paste (or use a zester). In a bowl, combine the labneh, spice blend, lemon zest, the juice of 2 lemon wedges, and up to half the garlic paste. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To the pot of cooked farro, add the tomatoes, pepper, pickled shallot, half the reserved pickling liquid (you will have extra), the juice of the remaining lemon wedges, half the parsley, as much of the remaining garlic paste as you’d like, and a drizzle of olive oil. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Carefully place the pitas directly onto the oven rack. Warm 2 to 3 minutes, or until heated through and pliable. Carefully remove from the oven and transfer to a work surface. Place the radish sprouts in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Spread the seasoned labneh onto 1 side of each warmed pita. Top with the roasted eggplant, chopped egg, and a drizzle of olive oil. Garnish with the dressed radish sprouts. Divide the finished pitas and salad between 2 dishes. Garnish the salad with the remaining parsley. Enjoy!