you never know what you’ll find with a song on the radio ::::
As much as I don’t like how tech-absorbed this world has become sometimes, the Internet and radio do allow me to find wonderful things. I was recently listening to NPR on one of my drives to work (work! finally!) and the interviewer spoke with the a cappella folk music group Dunava, that specializes in Balkan music. I wasn’t sure of the name of the group at first; I didn’t catch the name over the booming GPS voice commanding me to take the next exit. A search on the Internet put the puzzle together and I promptly put the CD on my wish list.
Back lit cut pepper: like a glowing star
The throaty songs, woven with lyrics of sadness, loss, happiness, wonder had me focused. And it reminded me of some dip I made awhile back, Bulgarian, and the old friend’s recipe. It came from Stefan, a graduate student in my husband’s department. We had just attended a holiday party for the department, potluck-style, and received multiple raves reviews on my Ginger Eggplant Dip. Stefan had commented how good it was also, but he had a recipe that was even better. Ah, I thought. He challenges my food so it must an amazing recipe. He shared the recipe, noting at the end of the email “Unbelievably tasty!!” That phrase, in itself, must have some weight, seeing as there are not one but TWO exclamation points at the end of the sentence.
And Stefan was right. The roasted flavors of the vegetables meld beautifully. And the garlic lends a nice bite to the dip. Be sure to have plenty of pita or crackers on hand for dipping. This also makes a great sandwich spread. Sit down for a nice appetizer and jack up the Dunava tunes.
Happy New Year! Have a great 2012!
- 2 eggplants
- 4 to 5 sweet peppers (red and green mixed)
- 2 to 3 medium tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- ½ teaspoon salt (and more to taste, depending on the size of your vegetables)
- parsley (to garnish, optional)
- Bake/roast the eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers in the oven at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C), cool, peel off skin, and cut into small pieces.*
- Add the crushed garlic.
- Mix well and add oil, vinegar, and salt to taste.
- Arrange in a serving dish, top with finely chopped parsley, if using.
- Serve with toasted bread or breadsticks.
- The last part of Stefan's recipe states "Unbelievably tasty!!" He does not lie.
3 COMMENTS
[…] used this recipe from Story of a Kitchen as a […]
Beautiful pictures! Isuggest to leave the spread in the fridge overnight before consuming it. The taste will be much better as the flavors will have blended.
Thank you! Good advice. I will try it.