Baba Ghanoush

During the heat of summer I'm always looking for foods that are light, refreshing, and ultimately cool. I never crave hot foods in summer—and who does? The best cuisines for staying cool under the sun have always been Mediterranean and Middle Eastern. These foods, especially the dips and spreads, never make you feel like you've been weighted down. Many vegetables make a delicious dip, but eggplant dip is particularly popular in the region and beyond.

Baba ghanoush, the famous Levantine dip, is part of a traditional meze platter, which can include, hummus, stuffed grape leaves, olives, and flatbread. In Greece they have a similar dip called melitzanosalata. The basic recipe consists of roasted eggplant that is mashed together with garlic and parsley. Tahini (sesame seed paste) and lemon juice can also be added for more flavor. That's all you need to create this appetizer. When you're looking for something simple for summer entertaining, baba ghanoush might just be your solution.

Baba Ghanoush

Note: If you can't handle raw garlic, like me, I recommend heating the garlic in the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes. It will help tone down its rawness.

1 pound eggplant, preferably thin varieties like Japanese or small globe
3 garlic cloves, mashed into a paste
1 tablespoon tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (coriander)
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
flatbreads, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prick eggplant all over. Place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Roast until knife tender, about 20 to 30 minutes for Japanese or 30 to 40 minutes for globe. Cut a slit into each eggplant and let cool to the touch.

Scrape eggplant into the bowl of a food processor. Discard skin. Add garlic paste, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, and cilantro. Pulse until chunky. Season with salt and pepper and pulse to combine. Serve at room temperature. Alternatively, chill for at least 1 to 2 hours. Spoon into a serving bowl and drizzle with additional olive oil. Serve with flatbreads. Yield: 4 to 6 servings as an appetizer.