In Greek: μελιτζανοσαλάτα με καρύδια, pronounced meh-leed-zah-no-sah-LAH-tah meh kah-REETH-yah
The combination of the walnuts and a little more vinegar than in other recipes for this fabulous dip give it a nice tart taste that goes wonderfully with wedges of pita bread, raw veggies, and salty cheeses.
Ingredients:
- 4 1/2 pounds of large dark eggplant
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
- 1/2 bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 7 tablespoons of coarsely chopped walnuts
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 390F (200C).
Remove stem and leaves from eggplant. Rinse and pat dry. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 390F (200C) for 70 minutes. As soon as they can be handled, remove skin (it will come off easily by hand) and place the pulp in a fine strainer to drain until the liquid stops dripping, about 10 minutes.
Combine all ingredients in bowl of a food processor and mix until blended.
Alternatively, once the eggplant pulp has drained, chop finely, mash with a fork, and stir in other ingredients until well blended, alternating between the oil and vinegar.
Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Yield: approximately 2 cups