Baba ganoush + romesco = babamesco! One fine day, I had some but not all of the ingredients to make romesco, as well as a few baba-ganoush appropriate items, and I was craving some kind of powerful dip/spread/sauce. I combined the two and ended up with something really special. I’m pretty sure that everyone who sampled it loved it, and that goofy name that I threw out in the moment really stuck. I’ve had friends call me and seriously ask me when I’ll be making another batch of babamesco. Now I can’t imagine calling it by any other name. A few ways it can be used: as a dip for pita chips, sandwich spread, pizza sauce, veggie bowl component, sauce for vegetables (try it with grilled ramps or roasted cauliflower). There’s a step-by-step video above and some weekend links below. Happy Sunday :)
Dimes Spiced Porridge on Munchies – can’t wait to make this someday soon!
Tortus Copenhagen – this ceramicist’s instagram is addicting. The potter’s wheel videos are so meditative and satisfying.
Unsweetened Miso Chocolate Bar – Valentina used our almost savory raw chocolate recipe as a starting point for her own unsweetened chocolate bar, and it looks amazing.
Margaret Atwood on What ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Means Today – have you been watching the show?! I find it to be so eerily believable. Loved this article from the author about how the novel relates to the world today, and this bit: ‘One of my rules was that I would not put any events into the book that had not already happened in what James Joyce called the “nightmare” of history, nor any technology not already available. No imaginary gizmos, no imaginary laws, no imaginary atrocities.’
Jessica Koslow of Sqirl – interviewed on Apiece Apart Woman
Simplicity City – our favorite fashion instagram that draws from the past
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1 small eggplant or 3 small Japanese eggplants - sliced in half
- 1 head of garlic
- neutral coconut oil or olive oil, plus more for garnish
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- juice of 1 lemon
- handful of parsley, plus more for garnish
- za'atar - to garnish (optional)
- microgreens - to garnish (optional)
- Place the bell peppers on a baking sheet and turn your broiler to high. Broil the peppers for 2-4 minutes, flipping every minute or so, until the skin is blistered and the peppers are soft. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 400° F (200° C) and prepare a parchment paper-covered baking sheet. Place the eggplant on the sheet. Break the head of garlic into cloves and place them next to the eggplant, with the skins intact. Drizzle the eggplant and garlic cloves with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix with your hands to coat. Place in the oven. The garlic should be done after about 15 minutes, while the eggplant may need another 5-10 minutes until it's ready, a total of 20-25 minutes.
- Once the bell peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off their skin and remove the core and seeds. Slip the skin off the roasted garlic cloves. Scoop the eggplant flesh out of the skin and discard the skin.
- In a food processor, combine the roasted pepper, eggplant, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, salt and pepper until just smooth. Add in the parsley and pulse to incorporate. Taste for salt and adjust if needed. Serve the babamesco with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkling of za'atar and microgreens, if using.
I already commented this recipe on youtube so you know I love this idea! But I want to thank you for sharing my post <3
<3 It's so beautiful!
I made this yesterday. I put all the veggies into the oven together and simply took out the pepper earlier. The babamesco thus came together super quick and it’s not only pretty but also delicious. Thanks!
Btw. I find placing the peppers skin down on a cold plate helps with removing the skin once they are cooled down.
YAY, that’s so great to hear! Made my Sunday. Great tip about the pepper :)
Omg amazing recipe! Awesome blog, by the way. My BFF and I have our own blog as well and it’ll be awesome if you could check it out and support us as well. It’s at http://www.noshandgrub.com/