Garlic-Roasted Baby Eggplant

Sprouts keeps stocking these adorable baby eggplant.  They run between 8 and 12 to the dollar, and the cuteness factor goes a long way to make something appetizing.  About the size of an egg, they're probably the reason someone named them eggplant in the first place.

Then you get your dollar's worth home and realize you have to make something edible out of them.  They are perfect for an hors d'oeuvre-sized portion of something, so I just thought of what I would do to a regular eggplant and made it a whole lot cuter.

8 baby eggplant
*2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tb olive oil

1.  Preheat oven to 375º.

2.  Peel garlic and slice crosswise thinly.  Cut a lengthwise slit in each eggplant, not cutting all the way through and leaving both ends intact.  Carefully cram garlic slices into the slits.

3.  Place eggplants in 8"x8" baking dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and rub all over.  Sprinkle with salt and bake until soft to the touch and somewhat prune-like, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

4.  Serve hot, either as is or with a dipping sauce such as tahini or marinara.

makes 8

Difficulty rating  π