Eggplant Pesto

Directions

1. 1
   Preheat oven to 375F Prepare the eggplant by poking a few holes in each with a knife and placing them whole in a small roasting plan to just fit them.
2. 2
   In the same roasting pan, take the garlic cloves and place them in a small square of aluminum foil and drizzle a touch of olive oil on them.
3. 3
   Wrap the cloves up in the foil and place in the roasting pan alongside the eggplant.
4. 4
   Place in the oven and roast for around 45 minutes to an hour, or until the eggplants skin is wrinkled and the insides are soft.
5. 5
   Once the eggplant is done, remove it from the oven and unwrap the garlic from the foil.
6. 6
   Peel the garlic from its skins and place the soft cloves in your food processor.
7. 7
   Once the eggplant has cooled enough to touch, peel the skin off (if should peel off easily), chop it roughly and place in the food processor too.
8. 8
   Add the parsley, toasted pine nuts, lemon juice, olive oil, Parmesan and salt and pepper and blend the ingredients together until almost smooth.
9. 9
   Stop the food pro and add in the cumin and more salt and pepper as needed.
10. 10
    Serve on top or under a good protein like salmon or halibut or alongside home made pita chips.
11. 11
    I decided to serve it with pan roasted salmon and parsley oil, which really enhanced the flavor of the eggplant.