At first glance, this recipe appears complicated. Three separate components plus a garnish? You must be kidding!

In fact, it’s not at all difficult to make, and you might already have most of the ingredients on hand. Eggplant and tomatoes, the “stars of the show,” are at the peak of ripeness at local farmers’ markets right now. The dish looks stunning on the plate and tastes as good at room temperature as it does hot.

A hint of this dish arose out of the cover photo on London chef Yotam Ottolenghi’s tantalizing cookbook Plenty, which inspires me to cook no matter how impatient or grouchy I’m feeling. The buttermilk sauce I use here is a variation on his recipe.

Then I tried out a recipe from this book for a Turkish eggplant and tomato dish called imam bayildi (literally, “the imam fainted”). I pan-fried whole eggplants in olive oil, studded them with garlic cloves and braised them in a tomato-herb sauce.

The story goes that the imam fainted because of the high price of the olive oil required by the recipe, but I know better. One bite in, my eyes closed involuntarily and I lost the thread of conversation as I concentrated all my senses on what was happening in my mouth.

In spite of its dramatic flavors, imam bayildi looks a little soppy and shriveled. The recipe below borrows the best from both its parents—presentation and taste—but its ingredients, proportions, and method are my own.

So go ahead, pour yourself a glass of wine, turn on some music and let yourself enjoy spending some time in the kitchen. It will be worth the effort.

Roasted Eggplant with Tomatoes and Buttermilk Sauce
Serves 4

Eggplant Base:
2 medium or large eggplants
2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 4 large cloves or 8 small ones)
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper

Tomato Topping:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large white onion, peeled and chopped
2 pounds red, ripe tomatoes (2 very large, 3 large, or 4 medium), chopped
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Juice of half a lemon
Small handful fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, leaves only, finely chopped

Buttermilk Sauce
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
½ cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Scattering of dried mint and ground sumac (or ground coriander and paprika, or thyme and rosemary, or cumin and cinnamon…use what you have on hand and trust your nose to tell you what will taste good together)

Olives and/or fresh herbs to garnish, if desired

1. Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise, straight through the green stem. (You won’t be eating that part, but leave it on for presentation’s sake.) Cut three or four parallel diagonal slits in the flesh with a small knife, being careful not to cut all the way through the bottom or sides of the eggplant. Then turn each half 90 degrees and cut three or four more perpendicular slits so you get a diamond pattern.
2. Place the eggplant halves on a well-greased or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle each half generously with salt, working it gently into the slits with your fingertips. Set it aside for 30 minutes to an hour, until the eggplant has “sweat” out some of its juices.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel and mince the garlic cloves. When the eggplant feels wet to the touch, squeeze out the liquid and rinse off the salt. Press the minced garlic cloves into the slits of each eggplant half. Brush the top of each half generously with olive oil (about one tablespoon per half) until the eggplant absorbs it. Sprinkle kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper over the top of each half. Bake for approximately one hour, until eggplant flesh is golden brown and tender to the touch.
4. While eggplant is baking, make the tomato topping: heat olive oil in a large pan. Saute onion over medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Add tomato, sugar, salt, and crushed red pepper, continue to cook until tomato is soft, another 5 minutes or so. Remove pan from heat. Stir in lemon juice and chopped parsley. Set aside.
5. Then make the buttermilk sauce: Mix yogurt, buttermilk, olive oil, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
6. When eggplant is finished baking, remove from oven and let cool for five minutes, or even to room temperature if you like. Spoon one-quarter of the tomato topping lengthwise down the middle of each half. Then spoon a few tablespoons of the yogurt sauce over that. Sprinkle desired spices over the sauce. Add olives or fresh herbs to garnish if you like. Serve with crusty flatbread or baguette and another glass of wine.