Marjoram scented Baba Ganoush with Fresh Vegetable crudites
Ingredients
- 1 Large Eggplant
- 15 to 20 whole garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup tahini paste
- 1 to 2 cups olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh marjoram
- 1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Assorted vegetables and Pita for dipping
Instructions
- Split the eggplant in half. Cut slits into the flesh, but not all the way through. Stick garlic in the slits intermittently (6 to 10 pieces per half eggplant). Dowse the eggplant with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then put it in a preheated 300 degree oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Check the consistency. It should be soft and easily pull from the skin. Give it more time if needed.
- Scrape the eggplant from the skin into a food processor. Pulse to begin pureeing. Stop and scrape down the sides.
- Add in all the other ingredients except the oil and herbs. Run the processor to create a smooth puree. stop, scrape the sides, then start again.
- Drizzle the oil in until it becomes smooth, but not too loose. Then add the fresh herbs and adjust seasoning.
- Serve in a bowl, drizzle a little olive oil on top, sprinkle more fresh herbs on. Serve with fresh cut vegetables and pita bread.
Notes
When roasting the eggplant, it is important to have a good amount of oil. This recipe says 1 to 2 cups. It could be more, maybe less. It depends on the eggplant. Eggplant absorbs oil like a sponge. You want enough that it bakes up soft and comes off the skin easily. Saturate the eggplant until it looks moist, then splash a little extra for good measure. This is art, not science.
Sometimes the dip looks a little loose. If it is, you can puree some chic peas and fold them in for a hybrid hummus baba ganoush.