Mixed veggie and chick pea salad

Some of the recent litterature I have read has made me aware that eating a strictly raw vegetable and fruit diet works miracles, like bringing terminal cancer victims back from the brink and visibly shrinking the unsightly look of cellulite. Now that's food for thought, but I can't say that I would be willing to convert to this kind of diet as a lifestyle because I simply like cooked vegetables a bit too much. Nonetheless, I am experimenting lately with mixing cooked and raw vegetables in salads. This one, which includes vegetables and herbs from my garden and the local farm stand at Paisley's farm, was particularly yummy! The portions given here served two people.

Slice 3 small fairy eggplants and sautee them over low-medium heat in a generous amount of olive oil. Add a half a can of drained and rinsed chick peas. Cook until the eggplant and the chickpeas are browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium-sized salad bowl, mince a few cloves of garlic and mix with a generous amount of salt. Add 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar and stir. Add two tablespoons olive oil and stir again.

Thinly slice half a small red onion and cube a few red tomatoes. Half-peel a few cucumbers, cut in half and cut into half moons.

Add all the veggies, the eggplant and the chickpeas to the salad bow. Top with a generous handful each of fresh chopped mint and parsley. Stir until everything is covered with the dressing and serve.