with baba ganoush

Aubergines are very well suited to a little fire, and take on the smoke as they char; blitzing these up in a tasty baba ganoush makes for a real treat. The aubergine bruschetta are a simple, little, tasty appetiser.

Ingredients

Baba Ganoush

2 aubergines

2 garlic cloves

2 tbsp lemon juice

4 tbsp tahini

50ml good olive oil

Pinch of ground cumin

Pinch of sea salt 

A couple of tsp Turkish chilli flakes and Olive oil to finish

Aubergine Bruschetta

2 aubergines

150g semi dried tomatoes in oil

2 tbsp dried oregano

200g feta or mozzarella cheese

Olives if you like

Sea salt and black pepper to season

Method

Baba Ganoush

1. Fire up your BBQ or wood-fired oven for moderate direct heat around 160-180°C and pop your aubergines on to cook until the skin has charred and the aubergine flesh is soft and collapsing in on itself. Scoop out the soft flesh from the aubergines, and place in a food processor with the other ingredients, and blend until smooth. Feel free to adjust the amount of olive oil and lemon juice to suit your tastes. Put it in a bowl, sprinkle over the chilli flakes and drizzle a little olive oil over to serve.

Aubergine Bruschetta

1. Slice the aubergine into 1cm thick discs and then load up with the tomato, sprinkle with oregano and pop the cheese of your choice on top, with olives if you like. You can drizzle a little of the oil from the tomatoes over the top or a little extra virgin olive oil, and season. Place each bruschetta on a foil lined baking tray.

2. Pop the bruschetta on a tray into the BBQ or wood-fired oven set at 180-200°C for about 20 minutes until the aubergine is softened and the cheese melted and slightly browned.