I had never tasted, and was totally unaware of, eggplant (one of the world’s healthiest fruits, well technically it’s a large berry), until I landed in the Middle East to live there in the late 60s.\u00a0 A few days after my arrival in Arad, Israel (a small village in the Negev Desert) a neighbor offered me a slice of warm pita bread and an Israeli dip made with roasted eggplant, tahini, and yogurt. “Yum,” I said, after my first bite, and reached out to sample it again, and again. I was hooked and asked for any and all eggplant recipes.<\/p>\n
Years later while visiting the States, I went shopping for this royal purple, garden egg fruit. Not seeing it on display in the produce section, I asked for assistance. Forgetting the word for it in English, I asked for it using the Hebrew word \u2014\u05d7\u05b8\u05e6\u05b4\u05d9\u05dc (hat-ze-leem). The produce man looked puzzled and asked me to describe it.\u00a0 I told him it was a fruit, eaten as a vegetable, sometimes substituted for meat,\u00a0 kind of egg shaped, with a heavenly purple, shiny skin. I then told him what it was called in French (aubergine), and in Spanish (berenjena). “Oh,” he said. “Eggplant!” and pointed to a display in a far corner of the produce section.<\/p>\n
To this day, I still say \u05d7\u05b8\u05e6\u05b4\u05d9\u05dc (hat-ze-leem) in honor of my discovery of this amazing and delicious food\u2014a must have in every Israeli or Middle Eastern meal. Back in the day, before ovens became a kitchen mainstay, many foods were cooked over an open flame. Gourmet chefs probably still stick a fork in the top end and slowly turn it until the skin is properly charred to give it a delicate smokey flavor. I find it equally delicious when roasted and charred in an oven. Over the years I have experimented with various eggplant recipes. Here’s one of my favorite.<\/p>\n
Eggplant with Feta and Pine Nut Dip<\/span> Cool slightly and peel, carefully removing every bit of the scorched skin, Discard the charred skin. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the pulpy flesh and place in a bowl.<\/p>\n Crumble a big chunk (about 200 grams, 7 oz) of feta cheese into the bowl. Serve with warm slices of pita bread. I had never tasted, and was totally unaware of, eggplant (one of the world’s healthiest fruits, well technically it’s a large berry), until I landed in the Middle East to live there in the late 60s.\u00a0 A few days after my arrival in Arad, Israel (a small village in the Negev Desert) a neighbor offered … <\/p>\n
\nWash and dry two medium sized eggplants.\u00a0 Pierce both sides with a fork to vent, then place them on a lightly oiled (olive oil) baking sheet and broil or bake for 30-45 minutes (turning them once) until they are charred and soft to the touch.<\/p>\n
\nAdd 1\/4 cup olive oil
\n1 cup yogurt
\n1 T dried oregano leaves
\n3 chopped spring onions
\n1\/2 cup pine nuts
\n… and anything else your heart desires or deserves. Stir to mix.<\/p>\n
\n\u05ea\u05d4\u05e0\u05d5!\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Enjoy!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"