Aubergine medallions

I never thought I cared for spring much, preferring hazy summer days and golden autumn with that smoky smell. Then this year it came around and, completely unexpectedly, filled me with hope. The smell of grass and earth and young flowers awoke in me the kind of pure emotion that I haven't felt for a long time, making me grateful just to be alive. It truly has been the perfect spring - warm, bright and friendly, the island breeze a blessing rather than the burden it is during the winter months.  It's been a time for sangria under the cherry blossoms and long lunches in the garden. And an ideal time to rediscover Carluccio's "Vegetables" - a cookbook full of easy, fresh, natural recipes, perfect for now. So when my brother came over for dinner the other day I decided to make aubergine medallions, though I made them slightly differently to the way Carluccio does, replacing tomato pulp with real tomato and using a British cheese, rather than the pecorino and parmesan that he suggests. The medallions were followed by spaghetti putanesca and rocket salad, and washed down with a light, peachy rose. Then Moroccan mint tea to finish

Ingredients (serves 2)

6 thick round aubergine slices (from the middle)

6 basil leaves

6 tomato slices

Pesto

A hard cheese like pecorino - I used Berkswell

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Fry the slices on both sides until golden. Place on a baking tray. Put the basil leaf on top of each slice, followed by a teaspoon of pesto, and the tomato slice. Grate the cheese on top and season, then stick under a grill for 4-5 minutes. So easy!