NaBloPoMo Day 9: Dip

I love dip. Everyone who knows me knows I love dip. If I died tomorrow, I'd die happy--as long as I drowned in a swimming pool full of guacamole.

Here's a recipe for spicy eggplant dip. Eggplant is something people have strong feelings about. I love it, as long as it's done well--meaning salted and rinsed to get rid of the icky bitter liquid that sort of oozes out of it. I love eggplant sliced, breaded, fried, and piled on thick-sliced hearty bread with onions, peppers, spicy tomato sauce, and provolone cheese, and grilled.

Anyway, here's eggplant dip. It says spicy but this doesn't sound particularly spicy to me. That's okay, spicy's not everybody's cup of tea. I happen to like it, so I might add a pinch of cayenne to this. Serve it with those multigrain tortilla chips that are on the market now. Yum. Also, pita chips would be good with this.

INGREDIENTS
2 medium eggplants, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 400 F. Line a heavy baking sheet with foil.
2. Brush the cut sides of the eggplant with 1 tablespoon of the oil and arrange cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake until cut sides are browned and eggplant is soft (about 25 minutes).
3. Combine remaining oil and garlic in a skillet and heat over low heat until garlic sizzles. Stir in cumin and remove from heat.
4. Scoop out softened eggplant, chop finely and then add to skillet. Add ginger, bell pepper, and parsley. Stir mixture over low heat until blended. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature.