Welcome to moutabal. 

I first learned about moutabal while enjoying some appetizers at Range Life restaurant in the Livermore Valley. This is a fantastic farm-to-table restaurant that has high-quality food with a friendly, down-to-earth staff all set in an historic building constructed in 1875 (supposedly it was a horse stable for the horses that were used to pull the wagons of freight off of the nearby railroad).

Moutabal is a Middle Eastern eggplant dip and it can be served with pita chips, vegetable slices. or anything else you might serve with a dip. It is similar to baba ganoush. But moutabal uses tahini and yogurt (or labneh) to make it more creamy. But it still retains a lot of the eggplant flavor.

What I liked about the Range Life moutabal was how Chef Bill Niles topped his moutabal with summer fruit. Both times he topped it with a mixture of fresh pluots and heirloom tomato chunks. It was topped with a generous sprinkle of toasted sumac and a drizzle of olive oil. We loved the interaction of the sweet summer fruit with the eggplant flavor. 

Moutabal as served at Range Life. 

We had an upcoming dinner with a group of friends and I was in charge of bringing an appetizer. The theme of the dinner was "Summer Favorites" so realized I could try to replicate this appetizer and feature fresh, ripe summer fruit as Chef Niles did. 

I printed out a number of recipes and watched a lot of YouTube videos. Early attempts using a food processor made the dip almost like a hummus. Then I found some recipes that skipped the food processor and just used finely chopped eggplant. This more faithfully replicated what I tasted at the restaurant. 

Your summer fruit topping can be whatever you have or have access to. Plums, pluots, tomatoes. Be creative.

A key step in making the moutabal is giving the dip time to let the flavors marry. We had it freshly made and also some the next day and the next day version was decidedly better. In fact, this will keep in the fridge for around 5 days. 

For tahini, I like the Joya brand but Trader Joe's has it also. You don't need to refrigerate it once it's opened but it does separate. So start mixing it up days before making it and do your best to avoid creating chunks of unmixed tahini.  

Grilled eggplant cooling

Tahini, yogurt, salt, garlic, and lemon juice

Chopped eggplant

Moutabal with Summer Fruit

Ingredients:

• Eggplant - 2 large globe 
• Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
• Tahini - 3 tablespoons
• Yogurt - 4 tablespoons whole Greek, plain
• Salt - 1 teaspoon
• Lemon juice - from 1/2 lemon
• Olive oil - drizzles
• Cured Sumac - to garnish
• Pluots - chopped slices or chunks
• Heirloom tomatoes - chopped slices or chunks

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat a gas grill to 425-450°. If using an oven, pre-heat to 450°.
2. Wash and dry the eggplant.
3. Coat each eggplant with a light coating of olive oil rubbing the oil around the entire eggplant. 
4. Pierce the eggplant with a fork about 6 times in various locations. This will allow the steam to escape while cooking. 
5. Place the eggplant directly on the grill and close the cover. If using an oven, place the eggplant on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Every 15 minutes use tongs to turn the eggplant. For the gas grill, you want to see some blackening on the skin. 
6. When cooked, remove the eggplant from the grill and place them on a sheet pan. Using tongs and a knife to cut a slit from near the top to the bottom. Use the tools to open up the eggplant and let them cool for about 20-30 minutes. The open eggplant will leak some water content. I used a perforated tray and let them cool on the tray in the sink.
7. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, add the salt, lemon juice, tahini, yogurt, and garlic. Drizzle with some olive oil and mix together with a fork.
   
   
   
   
8. When cool enough to touch, use a teaspoon to scoop out the eggplant flesh. Place the flesh in a colander and allow it to drain its liquid for 5-10 minutes. 
9. Place the eggplant flesh on a large cutting board and use a large knife to finely cut in all directions. Chop until you get a chunky puree. 
10. Place the chopped eggplant in a large bowl and add the lemon juice/tahini mixture. Use a fork to mix all ingredients and break up any remaining chunks. 
11. Taste and adjust the lemon juice and salt to taste. 
12. Serve the moutabal as a base and top with pluot slices and tomato slices. Sprinkle liberally with the sumac and a final drizzle of olive oil.

Wine pairing: Crisp whites like an Albariño or Sauvignon Blanc or a dry, medium-bodied Provence-style rosé.

Click here for the PBS "Check Please, Bay Area Review of the restaurant.

Baba Ganouj

One of the items in the box this week was a solitary, purple eggplant. I like eggplant but it's not the easiest item in the world to cook--or cook right. Eggplant can be elusive. It can be bitter, mushy, and tasteless. At the same time, done right, it can be silky and satisfying.

So I did some research, determined to use this eggplant in the best possible way. I settled on Baba Ganouj (spelled a variety of ways). I was drawn to a Cook's Illustrated recipe because it talked about how grilling eggplant on the BBQ drew out flavors that the oven cannot. I must agree. Grilling the eggplant over an open flame imparts a subtle, smoky flavor. I used a gas grill and from what I read hot coals may even improve this recipe. The other ingredients are simple. For the tahini, I used Trader Joe's Tahini Sauce mostly because I wanted to avoid the supermarket.

Most recipes call for two eggplants. The recipe below is my version for just one.

Baba Ganouj:

• 1 medium globe eggplant
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. tahini
• 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
  
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. chopped parsley leaves
• pepper
• paprika

Preparation:

1. Preheat grill - I got it up to around 400 degrees
   
2. Puncture the eggplant multiple times with a fork to prevent an "eggsplosion"
3. Place eggplant directly on the grill grate turning occasionally for 20-30 minutes (I went for 30 minutes. The eggplant should be pretty sad looking and have some give as you press the back of a fork to it)
   
4. Optional: I placed the garlic cloves in an envelope of foil and put in on the grill for about 15 minutes
   
5. As eggplant cooks, prepare other ingredients
6. When eggplant is done, remove from heat and let it rest for 10-20 minutes until it can be handled
7. Using a fork, pull away the peel in strips
8. Add the roasted eggplant to the food processor along with the other ingredients
9. Mix until at desired consistency
10. To present, drizzle some olive oil on top, sprinkle with paprika, and garnish with parsley leaves
11. Serve with toasted baguettes or pita bread
    

Inspiration:

Cook's Illustrated "Perfect Vegetables"

Alton Brown's recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baba-ghannouj-recipe/index.html

Eating Well Magazine:
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/baba_ganouj.html