This easy-to-make Middle Eastern recipe is a classic eggplant dish. It combines eggplant, tahini, parsley, nuts, and lemon juice to create a cool, refreshing meal on a warm summer day. Serve this dip with pita bread and olives, as a side dish, snack, or main course.
| 1 | large eggplant, unpeeled |
| 1/2 | cup pine nuts or pecans, toasted |
| 1/4 | cup finely chopped fresh parsley |
| 3 | tablespoons tahini (sesame paste) |
| 3 | tablespoons fresh lemon juice |
| 1 | garlic clove, minced and mashed into a paste with a pinch of salt |
| salt to taste |
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Prick the eggplant a few times with a fork and place on a baking sheet. Bake until the eggplant collapses, about 40 minutes. Cool until easy to handle.
Scrape the flesh from the skin and place in a food processor; discard the skin. Add the nuts, parsley, tahini, lemon juice, garlic paste, and process until smooth. Salt to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Makes 2 cups, about 4 servings.
Recipe by Ellen Ecker Ogden from her book From the Cook's Garden (HarperCollins, 2003). Ellen is a garden writer and cookbook author based in Vermont.
Charlie Nardozzi is an award winning, nationally recognized garden writer, speaker, radio, and television personality. He has worked for more than 30 years bringing expert gardening information to home gardeners through radio, television, talks, tours, on-line, and the printed page. Charlie delights in making gardening information simple, easy, fun and accessible to everyone. He's the author of 6 books, has three radio shows in New England and a TV show. He leads Garden Tours around the world and consults with organizations and companies about gardening programs. See more about him at Gardening With Charlie.
