Baba ghanouj

I have an aversion to eggplant yet it seems that every where you turn cooks are using eggplant and gardeners are bending over backwards to grow the things. There has to be a reason why this uninspiring, bland vegetable is used so much. One thing I've always enjoyed is store-bought baba ghanouj. Yet like all things store-bought, I have a fervent belief that homemade will always be better. Either as a dip for fresh vegetables or spread out on toasted pita bread, baba ghanouj is great. But I'm also using it as just another condiment. I can use it in a sandwich along with some hummus and vegetables or as a sort of sauce in which to dip some barbecued chicken or fish. I like having a little assortment of all these types of sauces as well as some homemade pickles. There's nothing chemical, nothing mysterious about the stuff that are in these mason jars scattered in the insides of my fridge.

Here's a modified version of a recipe I found for baba ghanouj online. I used twice the amount of lemon juice that the original recipe prescribes as well as added a few spices.

1 eggplant
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
Dash of ground cumin and cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.

2. Place eggplant on baking sheet, and make holes in the skin with a fork. Roast it for 30 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally, or until soft. Remove from oven, let cool and peel skin off.

3. Place eggplant and all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz. Chill before serving.