Holy land atmosphere

I just came back this week from a sunny and delicious vacation in Israel, the land of milk and honey. Seriously people, the food over there is unbelievable – fresh, colorful and tasty. I explored all kinds of different dishes in the culinary capital, Tel Aviv, and throughout the rest of the country. But I have to admit that the best food I had came from the kitchens of friends and family. In the next couple of weeks I will share with you different Mediterranean flavors and recipes that I picked up from this trip. For this time however I’m going to focus on a staple of Israeli food, eggplant. While not too common in restaurants in New York, in Israel you will find it starring in menus of both upscale and hole in the wall establishments. Eggplant has been around for a long time in Israel. You can prepare eggplant a myriad of ways, but really, my advice is to keep it as simple as possible. It doesn’t need a lot to taste fabulous! Moreover, the current trend is to serve it whole, flame roasted with a little topping of tahini or yogurt.

Roasting eggplant on an open flame may turn your kitchen to a total mess, but it’s absolutely worth it since the smoky aroma brings out the best eggplant has to offer. The one that my friend Adam made the other day for brunch was absolutely amazing! Another technique that brings out the rich taste of the eggplant is frying. Just slice it up, throw it in a deep oil and enjoy! It may not be the healthiest of choices, but when it comes out golden and smelling delicious from the pan you won’t mind…

Before we start, just one thing to bear in mind – the selection process is critical! Choosing the right eggplant will make or break your dish. You should look for ones that are lighter in weight (heavy eggplants may contain bitter seeds) and have a nice, shiny skin and green and fresh looking leaves and stems. Eggplants are around all year round so go get started!

Whole Roasted Eggplant

Ingredients

1 eggplant

1 tablespoon raw tahini

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Juice from a half lemon

Coarse sea salt

Method

1. Line your stovetop with aluminum foil.

2. Place the whole eggplant over an open flame.

3. Roast and turn occasionally, until the flesh feels soft when pierced with a fork.

4. Cool slightly and cut in half lengthwise.

5. Place in a serving dish and pour over with tahini, olive oil and lemon juice.

6. Add salt to taste and serve immediately. You can make different variations on this basic recipe and also top it with goat yogurt, fresh chopped hot green pepper, crushed garlic, tomatoes and whatever’s on your mind.

Serve with fresh bread.

Be-te-a-von!

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