Baba Ghanoush

While we were at Wilson Farms in Boston I did some grocery shopping.  I bought these lovely looking Sicilian eggplants.  I had never seen purple and white eggplants that looked like large tomatoes before and so I had to buy them- really not knowing what I would do with them.

I get obsessed with an ingredient and keep using it repeatedly. Dill is it this week.  I still have some in my fridge left over from the potatoes I made last week.  I felt I needed to use it in an eggplant dish. I thought of Caponata but wasn’t sure if I could use dill in it.  I remembered an Indian dish called Baingan Bharta that is made out of grilled eggplant, onions and tomatoes,etc. I also thought of Baba Ghanoush– which is a middle eastern eggplant dip eaten with pita and vegetables.  I decided to incorporate the two dishes and make my own.  So I grilled the eggplants; cut up some onions and garlic and cooked them with olive oil and cumin seeds.  I then processed everything together including tahini, cilantro and dill. We had a different kind of a dinner that night- more like the one you have on a summer night sitting out on your deck. I decided to serve a baguette with the eggplant spread. I needed a protein and of course chicken sausages came to mind. I bought some cilantro sausages and feta cheese.  I made a green salad with some fresh herbs and that was it.  I had forgotten how much I love feta cheese. The salty flavor went really well with the creamy spread. We had a cabernet with the extravaganza although in the summer I think I would wash the meal down with a crisp rose!

• 2 medium eggplants, about 1 pound- Sicilian Eggplants are recommended but any will do
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus some extra for coating the eggplant
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 1 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
• ½ cup dill, coarsely chopped
• Salt to taste
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pierce the eggplants in a few places with a fork, so steam has somewhere to go when you cook them.
Coat the eggplants with some olive oil and place on a grill, until the skins are wrinkled and black, and the eggplants are shriveled and soft; turning often. (Eggplants can be roasted in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 30 minutes)
When the eggplants are cool enough to handle, split them open and scoop out the flesh, discarding the skin and as many seeds as possible. Keep aside.
In a medium frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the onion, garlic and cumin seeds. Cook on a medium heat for 5-6 minutes till the vegetables are soft.
In a food processor, combine the onion and garlic mixture, tahini, lemon juice, cilantro and dill; puree until smooth. Add the eggplant; season with salt and cayenne pepper, pulse again to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed.