This post could also be called “Is eggplant supposed to taste like that?” or “Where did I go wrong?” For my third veggie resolution, I continued tackling veggies that were scary or blah – after all I was 2 for 2 with veggie WINS! I hoped I’d face similar success with the eggplant. The eggplant, or aubergine, as I prefer to call it in my hoity-toity voice, looks beautiful. However, my rare encounter with it have left me disappointed – either bitter or bland, mushy and just generally unappetizing. General blergh-ness all around. I then happened upon this recipe from David Lebovitz, with some of my favorite things – salt? Good. Olive oil? Gooood. Cilantro? Yummers.
So why did it come out funny? Help me out, readers. First, the recipe.
You will need:
3 medium-sized eggplants 1/2 cup tahini (roasted sesame paste) 1 1/4 tsp coarse salt 3 tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed 1/8 tsp chile powder 1 tbsp olive oil
a half bunch picked flat-leaf parsley or cilantro leaves
1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Prick each eggplant a few times, then char the outside of the eggplants by placing them directly on the flame of a gas burner and as the skin chars, turn them until the eggplants are uniformly-charred on the outside.
So I didn’t know when the skin was charred, so I just kinda winged it. Oh and NO ONE TOLD ME EGGPLANTS CATCH ON FIRE! Geez louise. Scared the whahoosies out of me.
3. Place the eggplants on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until they’re completely soft; you should be able to easily poke a paring knife into them and meet no resistance. Remove from oven and let cool.
In the mean time, I prepared the cilantro, garlic and lemon juice.
4. Split the eggplant and scrape out the pulp.
5. Puree the pulp in a blender or food processor with the other ingredients until smooth.
6. Taste, and season with additional salt and lemon juice, if necessary. Chill for a few hours before serving. Serve with crackers, sliced baguette, or toasted pita chips.
Storage: Baba Ganoush can be made and refrigerated for up to five days prior to serving.
And how did this turn out? Well, I followed the recipe to a tee. I had an eating buddy sample it, and he liked it enough. But I just thought it tasted kinda bitter, and not delicious at all! I would NOT try this again. Tell me, where did I go wrong?
This was my first Veggie Resolution FAIL. Wah wahhh.
