Baba Ganoush
An eggplant sesame purée, Baba Ganoush, literally translated means pampered or spoiled father. Finding a good eggplant has gotten so much easier in the last few years. You can tell you are getting a good eggplant if it is firm, heavy for it's size and blemish free.
Yield: About 2 1/2 cups
Ingredients:
1 large (about 1 1/2 lb.) eggplant
1/4 c. tahini
1/4 c. warm water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
Preheat broiler. Pierce one side of eggplant with a fork. Place, pierced side up, on a foil lined baking pan. Place 5-6 inches under broiler. Broil for 30-45 minutes or until top starts to char and skin is blistered. Remove from broiler and let cool about 10 minutes. Slit open the eggplant and scrape out all of the pulp into a bowl. Remove any large bunches of seeds or dark liquid as they may impart a bitter taste. Mash remaining pulp with a fork. Mix the tahini and water together until smooth and whitened. Stir into eggplant, along with the lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix until pale in color and smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish the top with chopped parsley and/or pomegranate seeds.