Aubergine.....aka Eggplant

For the longest time I thought Aubergine was a just a color, but noooo it is in fact the other name for that funny looking veggie no one knows what to do with other than bread it/fry it and add the name ...Parmesan to it. However, eggplant is much more versatile than we give it credit for!

We had an abundance of eggplant from this week's CSA market basket and not sure what we were going to do with them. We didn't have a lot going on this past weekend as I had to work – so we don't usually stray too far from the home office. Since we had plenty of cukes and small carrots and some pita laying around why not go for some sort of finger food and watch movies?? Cue the choir “Ahhhhhhhhhhh” yes, its Baba Ghanoush time!!

If you haven't had Baba Ghanoush here is a wiki-pedia description:
“it is an Arab dish of eggplant (aubergine) mashed and mixed with various seasonings. Often, it is eaten as a dip with pita bread, and is sometimes added to other dishes. It is usually of an earthy light-brown color. It is popular in Egypt.”

We love the heady garlic flavor and smooth texture of this dish and it is something you can make and keep in the fridge for use over several days. It is also good as a spread in sandwiches versus mayo! So, let's get to it....

INGREDIENTS
3 small to medium eggplant
2 large cloves of garlic
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 Tablespoons Tahini (sesame paste found in the International aisle in most grocery stores)
3 Tablespoons lemon juice


HOW TO
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Place eggplant that have been rubbed with a little olive oil on a cookie sheet and bake 30 minutes, turning ½ way through the bake time. The eggplant should appear to be collapsing a bit and be soft when squeezed.

Move the eggplant to a cutting board and slice lengthwise. Scoop out the soft pulpy inside and put into a food processor. Pulse till smooth. Over a medium bowl, strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer using the back of a ladle to push it through then discard any seeds/membranes and set aside.

On your cutting board, roughly chop the garlic and top with the salt. Working your flat side of the knife (blade toward the surface) drag the knife repeatedly across the garlic and salt till you have a paste.

Stir the garlic/salt paste, lemon juice, tahini and chopped parsley into the eggplant mixture and chill.

Serve with fresh cucumber slices, carrots, pita bread – or one of our favs plantain chips!

Enjoy,
Cheryl