Friday Food #28: Grilled Eggplant "Pizza"

This is an epicurious recipe, like so many of mine. I haven't made it yet this year but whenever I have it is a surprise hit: a surprise, because I'm the only person in the family who will admit to liking eggplant or will actually buy it in the grocery store. But this is so good and, really, so easy. This recipe makes enough for two for a main dish or four if you have something else to eat along with it, maybe pasta salad or a big green salad and some bread. Or, just buy another eggplant and some more tomatoes and make more.

1 1/3 cups shredded four-cheese mix or pizza cheese (for this one, don't use fresh mozarella, as it's too moist to work: you need dry little shreds of cheese)
2 tablespoons Italian-style dry breadcrumbs (plain ones are also fine)
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices (lengthwise slices are, of course, bigger than widthwise and so you make fewer "pizzas" this way, but you can of course slice it any way you like and it will work)
8 ounces plum tomatoes, thinly sliced (3 or 4 tomatoes, I think, depending on how big they are)
1/4 cup garlic-flavored olive oil (plain olive oil works just fine)
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Stir cheese mix, breadcrumbs, and 1/3 cup basil in medium bowl to blend. Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Sprinkle eggplant and tomatoes with salt and pepper. Brush 1 side of eggplant slices with some oil. Grill, oiled side down, until bottom side is tender and grill marks appear, about 3 minutes. Brush second side of eggplant slices with more oil; turn over and top grilled side with tomatoes, then cheese mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Drizzle with remaining oil. Cover and grill until tomatoes are tender and cheese melts, about 7 minutes. Transfer eggplant slices to plates. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons basil and serve.