Mediterranean Eggplant Dip

Growing up in a French home, I don’t recall ever eating eggplant.  The first time I had eggplant was in college where I discovered ratatouille, a French classic, yes, but new to me.  I fell in love and learned to make it since I craved it often.  Then I was swept off my feet by my sister’s Italian inlaws’ stuffed eggplants.  My favorite countries to travel to? Greece, Italy and Turkey, where, you guessed it, eggplant figures prominently in their cuisine.

Eggplant finds me wherever I travel and I seek it out  whenever I can.  This is a nutritious dip showcasing the mediterranean flavors of  eggplant, feta and Kalamata olives, all favorites, coming together in a creamy concoction similar to hummus.   It is delicious as a sandwich spread as well.  Once the eggplant is baked, the dip comes together in minutes.  Make sure to cook the eggplant thoroughly so its flesh can be scraped off the skin easily.  You don’t want to have to rinse it under running water:  this will ruin the flavor.    Serve with warm pita wedges or tortilla chips.  The eggplant can be roasted several days in advance and held whole in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the dip.  The dip itself with keep 3 days.  A healthy offering for Super Bowl Sunday!

• Servings: 20
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• 1 whole medium sized eggplant, baked whole and flesh scooped out(bake at 350F for 1 hour)
• 1/4 c tahini
• 2 oz feta cheese
• juice of a lemon
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 T flat leaf parsley, more to garnish
• 15 pitted Kalamata olives
• olive oil drizzle and extra olives to garnish, optional

Place all ingredients except the oil in the bowl of a blender or food processor and pulse until combined, retaining some texture.  Chill for a few hours to meld flavors and top with more chopped parsley, crumbled feta, halved kalamatas and/or a drizzle of olive oil if desired.