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Fresh eggplant dip to make baba grin

One of the things I love about Facebook is that the social networking site gives us the opportunity to get glimpses into our friends' and family's lives that we normally wouldn't have. For example, a friend recently posted about whipping up a batch of baba ghanoush at 3 a.m. The comments from others led to a discussion about what to do with all that leftover tahini.

For those who are unfamiliar with it, tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds common in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking. Like peanut butter, but sesame seeds. And like peanut butter it comes in large jars, yet most recipes call for only a tablespoon or so. The spread will keep for ages in the refrigerator, but if your fridge is small or crowded (or prone to swallowing items in its abyss), it can be a bit inconvenient to make room for the jar and remember to use it before it gets rancid. (I've never had that happen, but the stuff won't keep forever.)

The seed butter is available raw and roasted. I prefer the roasted kind because it has a deeper, richer flavor.

I shared some favorite ways of using tahini -- hummus, in deviled eggs, on roasted cauliflower, as a sauce for Asian noodles -- but then it occurred to me I'd never used tahini in baba ghanoush. And then I realized I'd never made baba ghanoush. I've made baba ghanoush soup, but I've always bought the dip.

I decided it was time to rectify that. This version was definitely better than that from the grocery store. I had to make one significant unconventional adjustment -- using lime juice in place of lemon.

Roasted Eggplant Dip

1 average eggplant

1 to 2 cloves garlic, quartered

Salt and ground black pepper

Olive oil

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

Juice of 1/2 lime, or to taste

1 teaspoon toasted ground cumin (see note), or to taste

1/4 cup tahini paste

Toasted naan or pita bread, optional, for serving

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Cut the eggplant in half. Using a sharp knife, make several slits in the flesh of the eggplant. Stuff each slit with a piece of garlic. Place eggplant on baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil. Roast eggplant, cut side up, for 30 minutes or until flesh is tender and darkened. Turn eggplant skin-side up and set aside until cool enough to handle.

In a food processor or blender, combine the water, parsley, lime juice, cumin and tahini and pulse until smooth.

Remove and discard the skin from the eggplant; add the flesh along with the garlic to the food processor. Process until smooth. Season to taste with salt, pepper, cumin and/or lime juice. Serve immediately with naan or pita, if desired.

Makes 1 1/2 to 2 cups.

Note: To toast/roast cumin, heat the whole seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, shaking the pan or stirring constantly to prevent the seeds from burning. Cool and grind in a spice grinder or pepper grinder. If you prefer to use already ground cumin, look for McCormick Gourmet Collection Roasted Ground Cumin on the spice aisle.

Food on 08/13/2014

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