Baba Gannouj

I already have a recipe for this in the post called "mushrooms", but it was just a quickie one that didn't give exact amounts.

Baba gannouj is a middle-eastern dip that's basically the same thing as hummus, except you use roasted eggplant instead of garbanzo beans. Recipes vary as to how much tahini to use. I like the taste of eggplant, so I go easy on it. If you want more of a nutty, sesame taste, use more.

1 1-lb eggplant

1/2 C tahini paste

2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

2 Tb lemon juice

salt to taste

*olive oil as needed

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Poke washed eggplant in several places and place in roasting pan. Bake until it starts to implode, about 1-1/2 hours. Let rest until it's cool enough to handle, about half an hour.

2. Scoop out insides of eggplant into food processor. Pulse until the biggest pieces are broken up. Add tahini, garlic, and lemon juice and pulse until evenly distributed and desired consistency is reached. (I go for a guacamole-like texture.) It will firm up a lot in the fridge, so don't worry if it's a little runny.

3. Taste and add salt or more garlic as needed. If too thick, thin with olive oil. Chill until ready to use.

Serves 4 as a side, 8 as a party dip

Difficulty rating  π