Tear the basil leaves into pieces and place in bowl of a food processor. Add the garlic and pulse a few time to combine.
Add the olive oil and continue processing until you have a smooth sauce.
Stir in the lemon juice then season with sea salt and ground black pepper to taste. (Add more lemon juice if needed)
For the Vegetables
Toss the vegetables together with two tablespoons of olive oil in a large bowl. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a LARGE skillet over medium-high heat until HOT.
Pour half of the vegetables into the pan and cook until charred, about 4 to 8 minutes depending on your stove top. Allow the vegetables to char on one side, then flip them over to char the other side. If the tomatoes start to pop open, go ahead and remove them.
Once the vegetables are charred and softened, but not fully cooked, remove them from the skillet and place in a large bowl or serving platter.
Repeat the process with the second half of the vegetables. If the skillet looks too dry, add an additional tablespoon of oil.
When the second batch is charred, add the first batch back into the skillet and cover with a lid. Cook for an additional 3 minutes or so until the eggplant is tender but not falling apart.
Add additional salt and pepper if needed. Spoon the basil pistou over the vegetables and garnish with shaved Gruyere or Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
Basil Pistou is the French/Provencal version of the Italian Basil Pesto. There are no pine nuts or Parmesan cheese, just basil, garlic, oil, and lemon juice.
Pistou means “pounded”, so technically it should be made using a mortar and pestle…but mine is MIA
I used Gruyere because it is more common in France than Parmesan. Use whichever you prefer, just remember that Parmesan has a saltier flavor so go easy on the salt.
2 cups of fresh basil is equivalent to (4) of those plastic packages at the grocery store.
Serves 4 as a meal, 6 as a side dish.
You will not use all of the Pistou, so the "Fat" Nutritional Facts are way off.
I have not included amounts for the sea salt, so they are not calculated in the "Sodium" Nutritional Facts.