Seasonal Recipe of the Week
This is a great little recipe for an old family favorite: Baba Ganouj, which is an eggplant dip. In New York it's as common as green chile stew is here. Every corner Korean grocery has it in the refrigerated counter. It's an almost instant hors d'oeuvre. So here is the process:
Ingredients
1 medium eggplant
juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons tahini paste
salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
Procedure
Over a gas flame, sear the eggplant, turning as the skin chars. This smells a bit strong and makes a bit of a mess on the stove top. Prepare yourself. It cleans up easy, so don't worry. Then place the eggplant on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for 20 minutes till it collapses. Then let cool about 1 hour. Peel and discard the skin. Place eggplant and all other ingredients except olive oil in a food processor or blender, and blend till smooth. Some eggplants are more bitter than others, so adjust with salt and pepper or a pinch of sugar. Drizzle olive oil over the top before serving. Serve with warm pita bread and black olives.
