Baba Ghanoush

Last week I made eggplant-almond enchiladas (soooo yummy, by the way), and bought too many eggplants, so I had one large one left over. So this week, I made Baba Ghanoush for the first time with it. It's a fairly traditional Mediterranean dish that is most commonly served as an appetizer at such restaurants here in the States. I made some homemade pita and served it with a side of cucumber salad and fresh muskmelon, and it was finger-lickin', lip-smackin' good. Pretty easy, too!

Baba Ghanoush
www.FoodNetwork.com, Tyler Florence

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, cut in half longwise
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
kosher salt and fresh pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 T. tahini paste
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tsp. ground cumin
handful cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions:
Drizzle eggplant with olive oil and season with salt. Grill on a grill or roasted under a broiler until skins are wrinkled and black and flesh side is nicely charred. Chop into large pieces, then place in a food processor (or bowl, if using a stick blender) along with garlic, tahini, lemon juice, cumin and cilantro; puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the olive oil and pulse to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Pour into a serving bowl and serve with warm pita for dipping. (Also delicious with a side of Cucumber Dill Salad.)


Homemade Pita
www.thefreshloaf.com

Ingredients:
1 1/4 c. warm water
1 T. sugar or honey
2 tsp. yeast
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. olive oil

Directions:
Put the water, honey, and yeast in a small bowl for about 10 minutes to let the yeast bloom. Mix it together with the flour, salt, and oil, until it forms a ball (if too wet, add more flour). Knead for 10 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and let rise for 60-90 minutes. When doubled in size, punch down and divide into 8 pieces, forming into balls. Let rest for 20 minutes. Roll out into 1/8” thick rounds. Preheat oven to 400, or heat up a grill. If using an oven, place on baking stones and bake for 3-5 minutes or until puffy, but not golden. If using a grill, place on indirect heat and grill for 3-5 minutes or until puffy, but not golden.


Cucumber Dill Salad

Ingredients:
1 large cucumber, diced
1 large tomato, diced
2 T. red onion, minced
1 T. lemon juice
2-3 T. fresh dill, chopped
kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and chill for about an hour to allow flavors to blend.