Babaganoush

After picking a fresh eggplant from the garden, I'd already tried grilling one, so I thought I'd make babaganoush - I love babaganoush and always order it at Middle Eastern restaurants. It's a very similar process to making hummus, but it has the great tang of eggplant. It definitely helps to have a fresh eggplant, so give all the eggplants at the grocery a little squeeze and be sure to pick the firmest, smaller eggplants are usually firmer, sweeter, less bitter...

I grilled the eggplant cut in half and cut hash marks on the skin side which helped it grill evenly and helped dry it out (you don't want watery babaganoush). It's really tasty and has a wonderful, smooth consistency. Serve with warm or toasted pita.

Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant
1 glove garlic

juice of 1/2 a lemon

3 tbsp tahini
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt
pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions:
Cut the eggplant in half and then cut hashes in the skin side. Heat up a grill or grill pan and spray with oil. Grill the eggplant until tender all the way through, about 8-10 minutes each side. Meanwhile, dice a clove of garlic and sprinkle with salt and crush into a paste with the knife. Once the eggplant is tender, let cool until you can touch it and then scoop out all the flesh/seperate it from the skin. Discard seeds. Add the eggplant (sans skin), tahini, and garlic in a small food processor and pulse until mixed. Add lemon juice, then add olive oil until you have the consistancy you want - a smooth, but thick, dip. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper and more lemon or salt to taste. Serve in a bowl with a little extra virgin olive oil drizzled on top.