What goes well with Cucumbers?!

The answer, my friends, is Baba Ghanoush!!

As of this week, the garden is officially in production mode.  Other than my Kale plants, which are continually sprouting new leaves, the cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, jalapenos, and July Hybrid tomatoes are finally producing! 

In order to celebrate the first cucumbers of the season, I made a large batch of Baba Ghanoush (Mediterranean Eggplant relish/dip) from the two beautiful eggplants I found at the grocery store a few days ago.  It is perfect for dipping cucumber slices and carrots!  It also makes a good substitute for hummus, if you have been missing your tasty chickpeas, like I have.

The only thing in this recipe that may be unfamiliar to anyone, is the Tahini.  Tahini is nothing more than ground Sesame seeds.  I know!  Questionable paleo ingredient!  But, for the sake of this recipe (and my sanity), let's assume I've spent days or weeks gathering all the Sesame seeds I could find, and grinding them down into 1/4 cup of paste.  If you want...you can leave it out.  But, it won't be the same.  :-p

Tahini is pretty easy to find these days (as compared to 5 years ago), in the International aisle of your grocery store, or near the peanut butter.  Just make sure the ingredients list nothing more than Sesame seeds.  If you are lucky enough to have a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern specialty store nearby (like Almondina - for you South Bend/Mish people), you can usually find large jars for very cheap prices.

Ok.  So.  On to the recipe!

Baba Ghanoush

You will need:

2 Large Eggplants

2-3 Garlic cloves

1/4 cup Tahini

1/4 cup Lemon juice

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

First, wash your eggplants, and then stab them with a fork a few times around the perimeter, so that they don't explode in your oven during baking.  Then, place them on a baking sheet, in a 350 degree F oven, for 30-40 minutes, or until they look defeated (that one's for you Phil ;-) ).  Allow the eggplants to cool.  Then, slice each eggplant in half (and trim the tops off), and peel away the purple skin.

Place all of your ingredients into your food processor (seeds and all), and process until smooth.

Chill thoroughly.  The dip, I mean...although, you can relax, too.  This recipe makes about 3 cups of Baba Ghanoush, which will go quite far.  So, you may want to start out with a half batch, first.  And, as always, adjust the seasoning (lemon, garlic and tahini) to your personal taste.

Serve your Baba Ghanoush with fresh sliced cucumbers, carrots, celery, or any of your favorite dipping items.

Enjoy!  And, let me know what you think!