Whipped Beet-Eggplant on Toast

Toasted Tartine Base

Ingredients:
3 slices thick-cut sourdough or rustic bread
Garlic clove and Olive oil, for brushing

Method:
Brush both sides of bread with fresh garlic and lightly with olive oil.
Toast on a cast iron pan, grill, or 400°F oven until crisp, golden, and slightly charred at the edges.
Let cool slightly before topping, this keeps the base crisp under the creamy eggplant.

Beet-Whipped Eggplant

Ingredients:
1 large globe eggplant
1 small roasted beet (or ½ of a large one), peeled
¼ cup crème fraîche
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp ground cumin
1 ice cube
Salt, to taste

Method:
Halve and score eggplant. Roast cut-side down at 400°F with a light brush of oil for 35–40 min until collapsed and deeply roasted.
Roast beet in foil (same oven).
Scoop eggplant flesh (discard seeds if watery), and blend with beet and all other ingredients, including ice cube (for lift and emulsification).
Season with salt and adjust color with extra beet if needed.
Chill slightly for clean flavor and spreadability.

Spiced Roasted Chickpea Dukkah (Not Pictured, but great topping)

Ingredients:
¼ cup canned chickpeas, rinsed, patted dry
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp coriander seeds
¼ tsp smoked paprika
Pinch chili flakes
Salt
Olive oil

Method:
Toss chickpeas with oil, smoked paprika, chili, and salt. Roast at 400°F until crispy and golden, about 20–25 min.
Separately, toast seeds in a dry pan until aromatic.
Roughly crush everything together in a mortar & pestle or pulse-blend to a coarse crumble. You want both crunch and spice.

Option to top with Capers, fresh or fried for a salty punch

Zhug (Yemenite Herb-Chili Sauce)

Ingredients:
1 cup cilantro
½ cup parsley
1–2 green chilies, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp cardamom (optional)
2–3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt, to taste

Method:
Blend everything into a loose, pourable herb sauce, bold, sharp, and spicy. Adjust oil or lemon to find your balance.

Garnishes & Final Assembly

You’ll Need:
Preserved lemon, finely chopped (just the rind)
Micro herbs (cilantro, chervil, amaranth, mustard cress, etc.)
Extra olive oil
Flaky salt

To Assemble:
Pipe each toast generously with the beet-whipped eggplant, go edge to edge.
Spoon over zhug in loose drizzles or swooshes.
Sprinkle chickpea dukkah generously for crunch.
Dot with preserved lemon for bursts of citrus salt.
Finish with micro herbs, a drizzle of olive oil, and a final crack of flaky salt.