Photo by Judith Hausman
Serve this mixture with some pita bread.
While it isn’t the easiest to grow in New York, where I live, a local Italian-style eggplant called out to me at a favorite farm stand last weekend, and I decided to turn it into a simple spread. The grill was on for another round of kebobs, so we snuggled the smooth, purple beauty into a hot spot and let it blister on all sides. Roasting can be accomplished in a hot oven, too. You can also cube the eggplant and sauté it in oil; however, you won’t get the smoky undertones of the grill.
The next day, I scraped the now-chilled flesh away from the charred skin and into the food processor with several garlic cloves. After pureeing them, I added olive oil, a large dollop of Greek yogurt, some mint leaves, lemon juice and then some light Middle Eastern-ish spices. This is the place to play with eggplant’s mutability.
Many additions can smooth and blend with the basic roasted eggplant. Use tahini, throw in a handful of walnuts, add a hot pepper or a couple of scallions and a small diced tomato. Chop in a handful of parsley and cilantro and a lemon rind. Hold the yogurt, and use sesame oil, soy sauce and five-spice powder or lemon grass. Capers and anchovies, instead? Any of these turn eggplant into a wonderful lunch or appetizer dish to scoop up with pita bread or a sliced baguette. I garnished the spread with a drizzle of pomegranate syrup, as well; a sprinkle of zatar, smoked paprika or black sesame seeds are nice garnishes, too. Servings: 2 to 4
INGREDIENTS
Trim the eggplant, and grill it well on all sides (5 to 7 minutes). Cool. Scrape out the flesh, which should now be very soft, into a food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Puree or leave chunky. Serve with pita bread or pita chips.
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Judith Hausman
PREPARATION
As a long-time freelance food writer, Judith Hausman has written about every aspect of food, but local producers and artisanal traditions remain closest to her heart. Eating close to home takes this seasonal eater through a journey of delights and dilemmas, one tiny deck garden, farmers’ market discovery and easy-as-pie recipe at a time. She writes from a still-bucolic but ever-more-suburban town in the New York City ‘burbs.
