Roast Vegetable Cheesecake

Recipe by: Nikki Albertyn 
Twitter @nikkialbertyn Instagram @nikkialbertyn

Serves 4
Preparation 15 minutes
Cooking 40 minutes + 30 minutes
 
For the cheesecake:
65ml olive oil, plus extra for brushing foil
2 medium eggplants, cut crosswise into slices, 2cm thick
150g feta, crumbled into large chunks
150g cream cheese
3 eggs
60ml cream
150g baby plum tomatoes, halved
10g fresh basil, washed, dried and torn
 
For the Basil oil
20g fresh basil, washed and dried
50ml olive oil
 
salt and black pepper
 
For the 'cheesecake':
Preheat the oven to 190C. Line with foil the base and sides of a deep 22cm diameter round dish, or spring-form tin then brush lightly with oil.
 
Lay the aubergine slices on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper and brush all over with four tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast in the hot oven for 40 minutes – the aubergines need to go soft and golden. When cooked, remove, set aside to cool, and lower the oven to 150C.
 
Put the feta, cream cheese, cream, eggs and some pepper in a bowl and whisk until smooth and thick.
 
Arrange the aubergine neatly in the baking tin – the slices should fill up the tray as they lean against each other, almost standing on their sides. Fill the gaps with tomatoes and sprinkle over half the oregano.
 
Pour in just enough of the cheese mix to leave some aubergine and tomatoes exposed, sprinkle over the remaining oregano and bake for 30 minutes, or until the "custard" sets. When done, remove from the oven and leave the 'cake' to cool down to room temperature, then remove it from the tin and cut into four squares (or into wedges, if using a round dish).
 
For the Basil oil:
In the bowl of a food processor, place your basil leaves and olive oil. Process until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste and decant into a beautiful serving bowl.
 
To serve
Before serving, spoon over some basil oil and serve with a huge green salad and some warm, crust ciabatta.