One person I follow and whose recipes I love is Ina Garten. Her roasted eggplant dip is a big favorite in our family.

• 1 medium size eggplant, peeled
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded
• 1 red onion, peeled
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 T olive oil
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t freshly ground pepper
• 1 T tomato paste

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C).

Cut the eggplant, bell peppers, and onion into 1″ cubes. Toss them in a large bowl with the garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly browned and soft (tossing once during cooking). Cool slightly. Place the vegetables in a food processor, add the tomato paste, and pulse 3 or 4 times to blend. Taste for salt and pepper.

This dip goes very well with Ebba’s crackers (see recipe under bread).