Escalivada

There are scurrilous allegations in today’s papers that Yumblog NEVER signed for Glasgow Rovers and NEVER played a first team game for them – despite saying so repeatedly on TV, radio and in print.

Yumblog is sticking with the porkies told in our autobiography ‘Yumble Pie’ that we were in fact the Glasgow giants’ star player and gloriously took them to the final of the 1978 Scottish World Cup where we scored a brilliant hat trick in the last minute of extra time. And instead of a lap of honour, Yumblog ran a full marathon – in under three hours – dressed as a giant cock – for fucking charity!

The Germans have no word for ‘Schadenfreude’

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20-30 minutes
Skill level: easy
Serves: 4 as a side dish

Ingredients

• 2 medium aubergines
• 2 large red peppers
• 2 small onions
• olive oil
• garlic – 2-3 cloves – crushed
• parsley – handful – chopped
• anchovies (optional)
• s & p

Lightly coat the vegetables (halve and de-seed the peppers, but keep the aubergines and onions whole) in olive oil and place on a baking tray.

Put in a hot oven and bake until soft, puckered and blackened (like in the lovely photo below). This should take 20-30 minutes.

When cool enough to handle remove the skin from the pepper and aubergine.

Cut the peppers and onions into quarters, the aubergines into slices lengthways, and arrange in a pleasing fashion on a serving dish.

Mix the garlic with a generous slug of olive oil and pour over the vegetables.

Season with course sea salt and sprinkle with the parsley.

Finish off with a few anchovies. Vegetarians could leave these out or substitute with goat’s cheese.

If possible leave for a few hours for the flavours to blend.

Eat cold as a salad or reheat in the oven for a hot dish.

Verdict: Looks good, tastes good and by golly does you good.

Drink: A pair of Meantime before and a few glasses of red during.

Entertainment: Listening to two sisters talking in a way that only sisters can.