Kitchen Garden Journal

The secret to good baba is to roast the eggplant until blackened.  The resulting smoky flavor really makes it.

Ingredients:
1 large purple eggplant
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp olive oil

Method:
Roast the eggplant either over a charcoal grill (1st choice), directly over a gas flame (use tongs), or in a 400 degree oven until the skin is completely blackened and the insides are fully softened. Leave to cool. The eggplant should have a limp, burned-to-death appearance, and be slowly leaking its life juices.

When cool, split it open and scrape out the flesh.

Place eggplant, lemon juice, tahini and garlic in a food processor or blender, and puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the resulting paste to a mixing bowl, and slowly stir in olive oil. Serve with two or more of the following: pita bread, your favorite hummous, homemade falafel, tabbouleh salad, slices of cucumber and tomato, stuffed grape leaves, pickled banana peppers, feta cheese, olives, grilled skewered lamb.

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