[gentle folk music] - Hi, it's Inga from Around the Farm Table.

I'd like to show you how to make baba ghanoush.

It's a Mediterranean eggplant dip.

Baba ganoush is a little bit like hummus, but instead of using chickpeas, we're gonna use roasted eggplant as the base.

It really goes well with pita chips and fresh vegetables.

And it's really just a fun way to use up any extra eggplant you might have.

Starting with a medium to large eggplant, the first thing that you're gonna do is slice it in half lengthwise.

And then we're gonna sprinkle some kosher salt on top to bring out any excess moisture and any bitterness that the eggplant might have.

Leave the salt on the eggplant for 15 minutes.

Now, just take a towel and remove any excess moisture and salt from the eggplants.

Brush the flesh of the eggplant with about two teaspoons of olive oil.

Now place your eggplant on a cookie sheet with parchment paper, flesh side down, and roast those in the oven at 450 for about 35 to 40 minutes.

Stick a fork in, and you'll know it's done when the flesh is very, very tender.

You'll notice the darkness of the flesh.

That's gonna add a lot of really beautiful flavors to our dip.

Once your eggplant is cool enough to touch, use a spoon to scoop out all of that flesh.

Put that into a colander and press that with the back of a spoon to release any excess moisture.

Now transfer the eggplant into a clean bowl, add a quarter cup of olive oil, three tablespoons of lemon juice, three cloves of garlic, minced, a quarter of a cup of tahini, and salt and pepper to taste.

Now go ahead and mix all the ingredients together with a fork.

If you like a smoother consistency, you can also do this in the food processor.

Garnish your baba ghanoush with a little bit of smoked paprika and serve with warm pita and fresh vegetables.

I hope you'll enjoy, and I hope you'll gather with us next time, Around the Farm Table.