There are as many ways to spell the name of this eggplant dip as there are versions of the recipe! It's an eggplant-based, Middle-Eastern dip that Gabriella made at our farm tasting on Friday the 20th, but it's not the same recipe.
Alton Brown's Baba Ghannouj--makes 1 cup
1 medium eggplant or several smaller ones
2 cloves garlic
2 oz. fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp sesame tahini (find at any grocery store in the ethnic section)
1/2 bunch parsley, leaves only
salt & pepper to taste
Pierce some holes in the skin of the eggplant (to avoid explosion of said eggplant) and grill over medium-high heat, turning every 7 minutes, till the skin is blackened and the body is nice and soft. Total time for grilling is ~30 min. If you don't have a grill, you can roast your eggplant in a 375 degree oven for about 30 min.
Remove eggplant from the grill (or oven) and let cool. Once the eggplant is cool enough to handle, peel away the skin and discard [or scoop out the flesh with a spoon]. Place eggplant flesh in a colander and drain for 10 min [Melinda has not found that necessary, but have at it if you wish.]. In food processor, combine garlic, lemon juice, tahini, & parsley & pulse to combine. Add the eggplant flesh. Season w/ salt/pepper to taste & pulse to combine. Adjust the flavor with more tahini or lemon juice if you like. If it tastes bitter, add a smidge of sugar or honey. Research shows that the white variety of the plant is sweeter in flavor. [But on the other hand, Melinda has never had any problem with the lavender or purple varieties of eggplant!] (recipe source)
Fennel (Finocchio in Italian) is a pretty, bulbing plant with stalks above the bulb and delicate fronds on the stalks. It has a somewhat sweet anise or licorice flavor, especially when it's raw. Though it's the bulb that's used most often, you also can use the stalks to make broth, or you can chop them finely & saute with other veggies (stalks are NOT inedible!). The fronds can be chopped and added to salads or used as a garnish on other dishes. I'm thinking of adding some to my next pesto.
The fennel bulb, thinly sliced, is crunchy, a bit sweet, and tastes like anise or licorice, though not as strong as the candy. It's delicious, thinly sliced and raw, in salads. When it's cooked in various preparations, however, the anise taste becomes more mellow and far less pronounced. Still, it brings a richness to dishes that's hard to beat, especially given that it's quite low in calories!
So how do you prepare fennel bulbs? First you cut a small slice off the root end, then slice the whole bulb in half vertically. When you look at the halves, you'll see a triangular core in each half, just above where the root was. With a sharp knife, gently cut out the core in each half, slicing inward from each side of the core toward the center; then remove the core. Then you can either chunk it, slice it, or dice it. See the video below for a demonstration.
Preheat oven to 375. Lightly oil the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange the fennel in the dish. Season w/ salt/pepper and sprinkle with the Parm. Drizzle w/ the oil. Bake till the fennel is fork-tender & the top is golden brown, ~45 min. Chop enough fennel fronds to make 2 tsp, then sprinkle over roasted fennel and serve.
Carrot Fennel Soup with Parsley Walnut Pesto--vegan
1 1/2 lbs carrots, peeled [or just scrubbed?--that's what I'd do], sliced in 1/2-in. rounds
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 sprig fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp [or to taste] salt
1 tsp fresh lemon juice or apple-cider vinegar
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
cream or milk (cashew, soy, almond, etc.--or dairy if desired) for garnish
parsley walnut pesto (see below)
Heat oil in 6-qt pot on medium. Add onion & cook 5 min., stirring a bit, till softened. Add fennel, cook another 5 min., stirring occasionally. Add stock, carrots, parsley, thyme, & salt, then bring to boil. Turn heat to low & simmer, partially covered, till carrots are very tender, ~30 min. Add lemon juice or vinegar.
Remove soup from heat & let cool a bit. Use an immersion blender (aka "stick blender" or "boat motor"--see here: it's a really handy, inexpensive device to have) or an upright blender (blend in small amounts) to puree the soup till very smooth. Reheat soup in pot, add pepper and swirls of cream or milk if using. Serve w/ a spoonful of parsley pesto in each bowl. (recipe source)
Combine parsley w/ pinch of salt, garlic, walnuts, & 1/4 cup oil in food processor or blender. Process till smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of container as necessary & adding remaining 1/4 cup oil gradually. Store in jar in fridge up to 2 weeks or in freezer up to 3 months. (recipe source)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add chard, and simmer 5 min. Remove from pot and drain well, patting leaves dry with a paper or kitchen towel. Place chard in food processor with herbs, nutmeg, sugar, flour, garlic, and eggs. Pulse till well blended. Fold in feta by hand. Heat 1 tbsp oil in large saute pan on medium-high heat. When oil is hot, spoon in 1 heaping tbsp of the mixture for each fritter (you should be able to fit 3 fritters per batch). Press down gently on fritter to flatten. Cook 1 to 2 min. per side, until golden brown. Transfer to a baking sheet [or large plate?] lined with toweling. Add another tbsp oil to the pan and repeat. Serve warm with lemon wedges (optional). In the photo, the fritters are topped with a garlicky beet spread (see post above for the recipe; photo credit)
