eggplant salad with smitten kitchen's quick pickle celery

I am all about using what you have in your fridge. Only problem is I am really bad at ad libbing a meal. Try as I might I just don't have the knack to pull out various leftovers and make it work in one dish...

Until now.

I totally made this dish up out of what we had in the fridge. And it tasted pretty damn good! Finally success.

So, if you plan to make this dish try and use what you've already got in the house. It just might taste good.

Eggplant Salad with Quick Pickle Celery
Vaguely adapted from Mark Bittman's More-or-Less Muffuletta from The Food Matters Cookbook
4 servings

2 medium eggplants, sliced, salted, left in a colander for 8 hours, rinsed and diced
2 teaspoons garlic, pressed
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic, pressed
4-5 sun dried tomatoes, minced
4-5 fresh basil leaves, minced
1 1/2 cups Smitten Kitchen's quick pickled celery {recipe}

1. Put 1/3 cup olive oil and first batch of garlic in a skillet. Heat until fragrant. Put eggplant in and stir continuously until eggplant begins to release moisture. About 10 minutes. Place in large bowl.

2. Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in same skillet with second batch of garlic. Heat until fragrant. Add mushrooms. Stir until wilted. About 5 minutes. Add to large bowl of eggplant.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients to bowl and mix.