If you know me at all you have probably heard that I do not like eggplant. These are strong words, because with adequate salt, I really honestly do enjoy almost all food. But having nearly no taste of its own and the texture of either a stiff sponge or a gooey mess, depending on how it is cooked, eggplant does not win me over.
Eggplant in the garden, however, is a completely different story. I've seen them in Nigel Slater's and Stephane Alexander's books (see aubergine) and in seed catalogs - photos of gloriously glowing purple, pink and white gems, dangling out of a mass of verdant green. With lavender and white flowers that have tiny yellow centers, and a soft fuzz over much of the stem, they are really delightful. This summer I was excited to discover some in my mother's garden, thin opalescent tubes that somehow managed to beat the Tucson heat, hiding under their sheltering leaves and a bit of shade cloth. I wonder if either she or the javelina have eaten them yet.
So each summer, when our produce box is overflowing with these purple beauties, I seek out new recipes and try to love eggplant. I wish could justify planting them in my own garden, but in addition to not wanting to eat them, I suspect they would quickly suffer a cold and foggy death just like my tomatoes.
This year's big win has been baba ghanoush. The lebanese were onto something when they roasted their eggplants over an open flame - the smokey flavor goes a long way in a vegetable with none of its own. So while you can certainly roast yours in the oven, I prefer a charcoal grill. Not only does it taste better, but if you are lucky enough to have a spouse who likes to escape the house and hang out in the yard with a beer, you can probably share the load and pass the roasting on to him (or her).
Serve it with pita chips at the school picnic, or plain old pitas for a more discerning crowd. You'll not only impress them with your cooking skills, but you'll get the eggplants out of the house. Enjoy!
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Baba Ghanoush - The Best In The World! (adapted from a recipe on Food.com )
Thanks to my husband Jason, who researched this recipe and has made several large batches of it for me.
1 large eggplant (double this recipe for a crowd)
1/4 cup tahini
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, plus more if needed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon Pimentón (aka Spanish Paprika)
salt
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Prepare your grill, you'll want it medium hot, whatever that means. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Poke the eggplant with a fork a few times so that it doesn't explode and place on the grill 5 inches or so above the fire. Grill, turning often, until the skin blackens and blisters and the flesh begins to feel soft, 10-15 minutes.
Put the eggplant on a baking sheet and into the oven. Bake 15-20 minutes until it is very soft. Remove it from the oven, let it cool so that you can peel off the skin and put the insides into a bowl. With a fork, mash the eggplant to a paste. Add the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, cumin and Pimentón, mix well. Season with salt, then add more lemon juice, tahini or salt until it tastes good.
Transfer to a serving bowl, smooth the top and pat a small well in it, then drizzle the olive oil on top and sprinkle with parsley. Serve at room temperature.
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