Herbed Lamb Loin with Roasted Tomato and Eggplant

For the Roasted Tomatoes: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Score each tomato with a small cross mark on the bottom and drop it into the water. Let the tomatoes sit for 5 to 10 seconds until the skins just start to peel back at the cross mark. Remove them from water and drop them into a bowl of ice water to cool. Remove the tomatoes from the water and peel. Cut the peeled tomatoes into quarters and scoop the seeds out.

Preheat the oven to 225ºF. Combine ½ cup of the olive oil and the garlic and toss it with the tomatoes. Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet and arrange the tomatoes skin side up. Sprinkle with salt and bake for 2 hours, until tomatoes are dried but still pliable. Remove from oven, cover, and keep warm.

For the Roasted Eggplant: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cut the eggplant in half and score them by cutting a light hatch mark pattern across the cut side, about 1/4-inch deep. Brush the cut sides with olive oil and sprinkle 3/4 cup chopped herbs and garlic evenly over the tops. Season with salt and roast for 1 hour, until the eggplant meat is very soft.

Scoop the eggplant meat out of the skins and chop. (Discard the skins.) Add the red pepper and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.

For the Herb Oil: Combine the cilantro and spinach leaves with remaining 1 1/2 cups olive oil in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Remove the mixture and place it in a sieve. Allow the herbed oil to drip through, pressing with the back of a large metal spoon if necessary to extract the oil. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring the lamb stock to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and cook until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup. Set aside and keep warm

For the Lamb: Combine the remaining 2/3 cup chopped herbs and the breadcrumbs in a low, shallow bowl. Place the flour and eggs each in their own shallow bowl.

Season the lamb loin with salt and pepper. Roll the loin in the flour to coat all sides, then roll it in the egg to coat all sides. Finally, roll it in the herbed breadcrumbs to coat all sides. Pat to make the crust thin and even.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Sear the loin on all sides until golden brown. Place the loin on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 13 to 15 minutes or until the meat registers 145ºF on a meat thermometer for medium-rare.