( CNN ) -- These eggplant halves look wonderful and are as delicious cold as they are hot , a perfect side dish or vegetarian main course that can be made in advance . Ingredients : . 4 medium-sized eggplants . 6 ripe plum tomatoes , skinned , seeded and chopped . Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley , chopped . Fine sea salt . 2 cloves of garlic , finely chopped . Handful of black olives , pitted and halved . Several good splashes of olive oil . Directions : . Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit . Slice the eggplants in half lengthways . Using a sharp knife , make diagonal incisions from left to right into the flesh of each eggplant half . You need to cut almost down to the skin , but make sure not to puncture it . Then make diagonal incisions from right to left to create a lattice effect . In a bowl , mix together the tomatoes , parsley , two or three good pinches of salt , garlic , basil and olives . Then add a splash of olive oil and mix thoroughly . Spoon the tomato and herb mixture over the eggplants , trying to push some of the sauce into the incisions in the flesh as you do so . Lay the eggplant halves in a shallow baking dish and pour olive oil around them to the depth of around 1 cm ( about 0.4 inches ) . Place the dish in the oven for around 45 minutes , until the eggplant flesh is soft through . Remove the dish from the oven , sprinkle fresh basil over the eggplants , and allow them to rest for about 15 minutes before serving . Read more about Campodimele : Delights of Italy 's 'Village of Eternity '
This dish is often served in Venice , Italy . Author Tracey Williams believes the village 's nutritious diet is key to the locals ' longevity . The locals eat ` ` genuine potatoes , '' grown without the use of chemicals and simply " .