The other day I was at Trader Joes tossing bagged vegetables into my cart and wondered why I was buying bagged vegetables when I have a perfectly good super local farmer’s market right down the street from my house. I’m not dissing TJs at all, in fact it’s where I do the majority of my shopping. I was just questioning my own choices about purchasing fruits and vegetables that come from far away lands and are washed, shucked and packaged in claustrophobic plastic. So this morning, I hopped on my bike and headed to market. Of course the baby eggplants were just too cute.

Baba Ghanoush (Source: All Recipes)

• 1 eggplant
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet. Place eggplant on baking sheet, and make holes in the skin with a fork. Roast it for 30 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally, or until soft. Remove from oven, and place into a large bowl of cold water. Remove from water, and peel skin off.

Place eggplant, lemon juice, tahini, sesame seeds, and garlic in an electric blender, and puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer eggplant mixture to a medium size mixing bowl, and slowly mix in olive oil. Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.