Baba Ganoush

We have lots of eggplants ready in our garden... which is great... except my boys don't really like eggplant. I've tried lots of ways to get them to eat it:

I've tried hiding them in moussaka, but they weren't fooled. They were like eggplant-seeking-missiles... talking missiles who asked "is there eggplant in this?" with the first mouthful.

I've tried them twice-cooked Chinese-style, first fried, then steamed and dressed in sesame oil and Szechuan pepper - who couldn't like that? Answer: My children!

I've even resorted to deception by putting them in curries and saying it's potato. That's pretty low (and lame), I know (and completely unsuccessful it turns out).

This silky and un-eggplant-like dip, I'm happy to say, doesn't require any bribery, corruption or fraudulent behaviour on my part. The boys don't even ask what it is, they just eat it - Works for me.


Baba Ganoush
from Janelle Bloom's Family Food & Weekend Feasts

2 medium eggplants
6 garlic cloves, skin on
4 spring onions, chopped
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of half a lemon
1/3 cup Greek yoghurt
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C fan-forced.

Pierce the skin of each eggplant 5 or 6 times with a fork and place on a baking tray with the garlic. Roast for 40 minutes, or until the eggplants are soft and almost collapsed.

Cut the eggplants in half and scoop out the warm flesh into a food processor. Add the spring onions, tahini, olive oil and lemon juice and process until smooth. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and stir in the yoghurt and half of the sesame seeds. Sprinkle the remaining sesame seeds on top and serve with lots of crusty bread.