Baba Ghanoush - Eggplants here we come!

So my kind new neighbor has been renamed the "Fruit Capor." At mysterious times I will come home to a box or bag of fresh produce on my doorstep. It has happened a handful of times and it is always a delightful surprise to come home to fresh peaches, gala apples, sweet peppers, and even a few eggplants. The produce is all amazing because it is picked fresh from the tree and doesn't get picked too soon like the grocery store. All the fruit goes directly into my mouth with no need to cook, bake, or change chemistry in anyway.

But then there was the eggplants, oh what to do with the eggplants?

The first went into something I was familiar, eggplant parmesan, while my hubby went with the less exotic chicken parmesan for dinner weekend. Needless to say that was a success. But with the second eggplant I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and try something with a new flair. Immediately my mind went to the wonderful Sabra's Baba Ghanoush I had so many times after a trip to the market in NYC. If you aren't certain what Baba Ghanoush is, it is a middle eastern spread/dip that can be used like hummus. It is wonderful with pita, cucumber, fresh veggies, etc. Reminiscent to all the amazing middle eastern food I discovered and experienced I knew I was up for the challenge. Surprisingly the whole process took about 35 minutes start to finish (25 roasting the eggplant), I had all ingredients on hand (with a bit of improvising), and was delicious down to the last drop. So here we go Baba Ghanoush, no need to visit the middle east for your good style.

Baba Ghanoush

• 1 eggplant
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons tahini (or extra sesame seeds and olive oil)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 clove garlic, minced (or 1 tsp minced garlic or garlic powder)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prick eggplant with fork all around to allow steam to come out. Roast 20-25 minutes depending on size of eggplant. Eggplant will be slightly shriveling and soft when ready.

2. Run eggplant under cold water for about 1 minute. Peel skin from eggplant.

3. Combine eggplant, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, sesame seeds, and garlic in food processor. Process until pureed, add salt and pepper to taste.

***Note, I did not have any tahini on hand so I substituted more oil and sesame seeds and it worked out just fine!

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