Eggplant dips are ubiquitous across the Mediterranean. Sicily has its caponata with tomato, onions, and capers that has a pronounced sweet-and-sour taste; Israel has its baba ghanoush with savory tahini; and Greece has its red onion and lemony melitzanosalata. My California caponata embraces eggplant’s creamy, neutral flavor along with some sweet and pungent seasonings.
In the following recipe, the flesh of the whole baked eggplant pairs with soft caramelized red onion, balsamic vinegar, and pungent creamy blue cheese. You can use any creamy blue cheese you prefer; my favorites are California’s Point Reyes blue cheese or Italy’s Gorgonzola Dolce, subtlety sweet. While the eggplant is baking, you can cook the onions on top of the stove at the same time and have them ready to be added to the eggplant. This takes about an hour to cook but is Seriously Simple to prepare.
