Eggplant spread with roasted pepper

This is one of my favourite ways of using eggplant – roasting and combining the flesh with tahini paste to make a traditional mediterranean style salad, or I call it a spread or a dip.

Get a shiny, plump eggplant without bruises. Make a few cuts on top for steam to escape and place in the oven on a foil lined baking sheet. Roast for a while (30 minutes or so) at 400F until it begins to collapse.

Scrape the flesh, chope it roughly, place in a colander  and drain over a bowl. Stir a few times to speed this up.

Use 1/2 cups fresh tahini paste and dilute it with water mixing until smooth. Add just enough water to make a thick yogurt-like consistency. Begin with 1/3 cup water but it depends on how moist your tahini paste is.

Add one minced garlic to the tahini, as well as salt and pepper and juice of half a lemon.

Once the eggplant flesh is well drained combine it with the tahini.

Add a handful of chopped parsley, salt and pepper.

If you have a red or yellow pepper, broil and peel it and cut into thin strands.

Serve in a bowl as a dip with bread slices or spoon onto slices of good bread, top with the pepper and serve.

Eggplant spread

Eggplant spread

Eggplant spread

Eggplant dip

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