Baba Ganoush

Sara Jones, Tucson CSA

This dish, which is reminiscent of hummus, is popular even with those who generally dislike eggplant. Roasting the garlic with the eggplant makes it milder and smoother so don’t be afraid to use the full quantity. I like a lot of tahini in my babaganoush, you can use more or less, to your taste. Use a pinch of cumin or chile powder if you like.

Ingredients

• 3 medium or 1 large eggplant
• 1/2 head roasted garlic or 1-2 cloves raw
• 2-3 tablespoons tahini
• Generous glug of olive oil (about 1-2 tablespoons)
• 1-3 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
• Salt to taste
• Add to taste any of the following: ground cumin, paprika, red chili, mint.

Directions

To roast in oven: If using narrow eggplant, leave eggplant whole. If using round globe eggplant, cut in half, oil cut sides and lay cut side down on baking sheet. Oil garlic, with skin on and place on baking sheet. Cook in a 350-degree oven for 30-45 minutes, until eggplant is meltingly tender.

To grill: Leave eggplant whole and place in a medium hot spot of grill. You can place directly on grates but I use a baking pan to catch the juice in case they drip and to keep the garlic from burning or falling through. Cook for about 35-40 minutes, until tender collapsed and tender.

Once cooled, scrape flesh from skin using a spoon. Cut off tops of garlic and squeeze out roasted flesh. Put garlic and eggplant in blender or food processor along with other ingredients and blend until smooth. Serve with raw vegetable slices or pita bread.

Submitted by Sara Jones, Tucson CSA