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Farm fresh produce is the star of this Roasted Eggplant Dip

Posted at 1:27 PM, Aug 26, 2015
and last updated 2015-08-26 13:27:24-04

RICHMOND, Va - Culinary Specialist Wanda Johnson, of the VSU College of Agriculture, was in the Virginia This Morning kitchen to pass along a fresh roasted eggplant dip. Wanda will host cooking demonstrations at the Hopewell Farmers Market. Fall schedule dates are September 5th, September 19th, October 10th, October 24th, and November 21st. For more information visit www.hopewelldowntown.com/market and www.facebook.com/hopewellfarmersmarket.

Roasted Eggplant Dip

Ingredients: 1 medium eggplant, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped, 1 small chile pepper, seeded and minced, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, pinch of sugar (optional)

  1. Position oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source; preheat boiler.
  2. Line a baking pan with foil. Place eggplant in the pan and poke a few holes all over it to vent steam. Broil the eggplant, turning with tongs every 5 minutes, until the skin is charred and a knife inserted into the dense flesh neat the stem goes in easily, 14 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board until cool enough to handle.

3. Put lemon juice in a medium bowl. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and scrape the flesh into the bowl, tossing with the lemon juice to prevent discoloring. Add oil and stir with a fork until the oil is absorbed. (It should be a little chunky.) Stir in feta, onion, bell pepper, chile pepper (if using), basil, parsley, cayenne, and salr. Taste and add sugar if needed.