Smoked Aubergine Soup

We had a Bar-b-q- at the weekend...and I had some left over potato and aubergine charred black from the fire.Instead of turning it into some smokey dips I opted for this soup due to the rainy weather outside...Ain,t nothing like a soup on a grey day.

Saute 2 onions finely diced in olive oil with a pinch of salt.
When the onions are soft add 3 small mushrooms..diced finely.
Add 1 small aubergine,2 radishes,half a cougette chopped finely.
Cook until the aubergine softens and add the charred aubergine (with the burnt skin removed and composted)and cover with a light stock.
Simmer for about ten minutes then blend up for a thick rich soup.
I added the cooked charred potato deskined and cubed up with some cooked green peas before serving for a different texture and that lovely green colour

Abuela Luisa,s Aubergine pickle

Peel shiny healthy aubergines and cut in finger size shapes.
Place in a large colinder beginning with a layer of aubergines ...sprinkle with sea salt....then another layer of sea salt.
Then put the colinder on top of a bowl to collect the bitter juices .
Leave for an hour or so.

Next place the aubergines in a large saucepan and cover them with a mixture half water ,half white wine vinegar.
Boil and cook for five minutes.
Drain in a colinder.
Layer in jars with some chopped garlic,dried laurel leaves,dried oregano,black pepper corns,aji molido(chilli flakes).
Then cover completely with sunflower oil.

The longer you leave the jars unopened the better the flavour but this is v v hard to do.
This pickle keeps very well so I advice you to make it in large quantities.
I suppose this is an Argentina recipe to eat with bar-b-qs but it also delicious with tostadas,crostinis,cheeses,veggie burgers...and the other day I liquidized them with tahini to make a baba ganush style dip.