Melizanosalata, say that five times fast!

Its name means “aubergine salad” for the dark purple color an eggplant gives off. This eggplant spread is a staple in Greece often served with warm pita bread or crisp vegetables. 
The first time I tried melizanosalata was at my favorite Greek restaurant. Looking at the menu, I knew what I wanted but didn’t think I could order it. Determined to try something new I looked at the waiter and managed, “I’ll have the eggplant spread please.” 

“Melizanosalata, miss? Only if you can pronounce it.”

Gathering my composure, I sounded out each syllable, “Me-li-za-no-sa-la-ta.” 

“Ha! Very good!” he responded, amused. 

I had no idea how gratifying my feeble efforts would be. The waiter brought our appetizer served with warm slices of pita bread on the side. The shiny, brown spread sat between my dinner date and I to which he gently nudged me to have the first taste.
Between the two of us, the dish is gone within minutes. 

Each bite was an explosion of nutty roasted eggplant, healthy fats, lemon, garlic and herbs. 
That’s it! Those simple ingredients made up an exquisite combination of flavors. I found myself hooked and making excuses to return to that restaurant. Celebrating an ‘A’ grade on my lab report, completing a record length of rock climbing, doing all my laundry. It didn’t matter, melizanosalata was the motivation. 

When I happened upon some organic egg plants at the local farmer’s market, I knew it was time to test my cooking skills. I searched the web looking for the perfect recipe and decided that it was easy enough to create my own variation. 

Melizanosalata traditionally consists of roasted eggplant, olive oil, garlic, lemon, parsley, salt and pepper. I chose to go for the full Greek experience by adding chopped red onion, kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese. I also chose to use sliced cucumber instead of pita bread to spread my creation onto. These last ingredients are completely optional depending on your diet of choice. I’ll leave that up to you. Without further ado, I proudly bring to you melizanosalata. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!