Recipe: Appetizer: Eggplant Dip with Yogurt

makes about 2 cups

2 pounds eggplant
1 cup plain yogurt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing eggplant
juice of ½ lemon
1-2 jalapeno peppers, stem and seeds removed and finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375F. Slice eggplant in half lengthwise. Brush cut sides with olive oil. Roast, cut side down, for 40 minutes until very soft.

When eggplants are cool enough to handle, peel and discard skin. Cut flesh into chunks and place in bowl of food processor. Add all other ingredients except olive oil. Pulse to combine, but not puree. While still pulsing, drizzle in ¼ cup olive oil through pour tube. Continue to pulse until mixture is thoroughly combined. (Try not to puree completely, you want some texture here. You can do the whole thing by hand with a fork or potato masher, if you prefer.)

Party Planning, feb 2004