Baba ganoush, a Middle Eastern dip, is one of our favorite ways to use up an excess of locally grown eggplant (you know, for those times when your CSA box is packed with them, or you just can’t resist buying one too many at the farmers market). Eggplant grows abundantly in PA, and at the height of the season, you may see a number of different varieties at the market: diminutive Fairy Tale eggplant, long slender Japanese eggplant, or milky white Casper eggplant.
Though these are all lovely specimens, for this recipe, we suggest using traditional purple eggplants — choose ones that are heavy for their size, with taut, smooth skin. Char them up on the grill first (or use leftover grilled eggplant) and blend with Soom tahini to make this wonderfully smoky, creamy appetizer, courtesy of our friends at Falafel Shack in Chambersburg, PA.
Baba Ganoush
| Yield |
|---|
| Yields about 3 cups |
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Total Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10 min | 5 min | 15 min |
Ingredients
- 2 large PA-grown eggplant, charred on the grill
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 4 large locally grown garlic cloves
- 1 and 1/4 cups Soom tahini
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Sumac, parsley and extra virgin olive oil for garnish
Method
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if necessary.
- Plate the baba ghanoush on a large platter. Shake some sumac and some parsley leaves on top and finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
- Recipe: Amer Chaudhry
- Photo: Dish Works
