Eggplant & Tehina

See also: Key to Great Eggplant.

I think this is both the easiest and most delicious eggplant dish I've made in years.  It can be eaten with a fork and knife as a vegetable dish or spread on bread like a dip. The "recipe" for tehina follows. Plan ahead what else you can cook in the oven at the same time, or make several trays of eggplant and rotate them in the oven. If you are making this as a main side dish, plan about two large eggplants for every three people.

1. Wash the eggplant and slice off the top. 
2. Quarter lengthwise.
3. Salt very generously and let sit for at least 15 minutes until they sweat.
4. Rinse off the salt and pat dry. 
5. Paint all sides with olive oil and lay skin-side up on a greased baking sheet.
6. Roast in the top of the oven around 400 F / 200 C.
7. When they start to get dark, pull them out and carefully flip them over. 
8. Cover then with a thin layer of tehina (see below).  Lightly cover.
9. Rewarm before serving.

Tehina / Tahini

Ingredients:

• Pure sesame paste (check the ingredients; there shouldn't be any other flavors already added). Add the following to taste:
• fresh lemon juice
• garlic powder, fresh crushed garlic, or roasted garlic
• salt
• water
• chopped parsley (optional)
• olive oil (optional)

For painting on the eggplant I left the tehina a little thick. For a dressing for falafel or vegetables, I use more water.

1. Start with a few large spoonfuls of pure sesame past in a bowl or jar.
2. Add lemon juice, salt, garlic, and one or two spoonfuls of water.
3. Mix, mix, mix... keep mixing. It will lighten in color.
4. When it is smooth, taste it. 
5. Add more water, olive oil, and parsley as desired to suite your needs.