My senior year of college was a scramble to cram as much of the “college experience” into my days as possible. This involved a lot of assisting— I was an assistant music director at the radio station, a teaching assistant for a creative writing class, and an intern for a professor finishing his first book. I sang in a co-ed a cappella group (let’s keep that piece info just between us, though), and I held down a coveted job as Subway Sandwich Artist to help fuel my addition to overpriced coffee and clove cigarettes. Fifteen hour stretches would go by with only a few minutes to stop by my on-campus townhouse to switch books or change into my work uniform.
This year of limited time and funds lead to an equally limited diet. I existed on frozen pierogies and Subway sandwiches, but I would occasionally indulge with baba ghanouj from the Mediterranean Bar at the local supermarket. After days of running around, I would find a moment to pull out some pita bread, sit down on the couch, and enjoy bad television and an eggplant spread.
Despite my love of baba ghanouj, I didn’t try making it until this afternoon when I found myself with two beautiful eggplants and a bit of time. Here’s the simple recipe:
Baba Ghanouj
(A modified version of this recipe from Epicurious)
-2 1-pound eggplants, halved lengthwise
-2 tbs olive oil
-1/4 cup tahini
-juice of 1 lemon
-2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
-1 tsp. cumin
-Salt and pepper to taste
1) Pre-heat oven to 375°.
2) Place eggplant halves, sliced side down on a lightly oiled baking tray. Roast for 35-45 minutes, or until soft. Allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes, then scoop out the pulp and place in a strainer over a large bowl. Drain for at least 30 minutes at room temperature and discard the liquid.
3) Add the eggplant pulp to a food processor, then add the olive oil, lemon, tahini, cumin, garlic, and process until just short of smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4) Serve at room temperature with pita bread or toasted baguette slices.
man, that pita looks familiar.