{Ajvar} Roasted Pepper Eggplant Spread

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This recipe is for those who dream of somewhere fabulous, like say a creaking sailboat on a teal blue sea, when reality is freeway gridlock with a wimpy A/C unit on a blazing hot day. For those who fantasize about sea spray in their hair when reality is a flat tire during said gridlock.

And all that daydreaming would be focused on Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast. It’s a place that, once you visit, it never leaves you. It’s a place of history, and beauty, and culture. The place you would dream up if the lavender fields of Provence were peppered about the Pirates of the Caribbean set. And it’s a place where there’s tons of grilled fish, fresh summer produce, and lots and lots of ajvar. So we are mentally taking you there through this recipe.

Recipe Ingredients

These are the ingredients that you’ll need to make this recipe:

• yellow, red, or orange bell peppers
• eggplant 
• extra-virgin olive oil
• garlic cloves 
• fresh chives
• freshly squeezed lemon juice
• red wine vinegar
• unrefined cane sugar
• crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and Freshly ground black pepper

How To Make This Recipe

These are the instructions that you’ll need to follow to make this recipe:

• Roast The Eggplant and Peppers: Heat oven to 450°F and arrange racks in the upper third. Halve each pepper, discarding stems and seeds. Place peppers, cut side down, on a baking sheet lined with foil.
  Cut eggplant in half lengthwise and drizzle it with about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and a little salt and place it, cut-side down, on the baking sheet. Roast the peppers and eggplant until they are blackened, blistered, and the eggplant collapses when you press on it.
• Peel The Eggplant and Peppers: Remove the eggplant and set it aside to cool slightly. Remove the peppers, place them in a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap until the peppers have slightly cooled. Use a spoon or ice-cream scoop to remove the pulp of the eggplant from the skin, and discard the skin.
  Put eggplant in a food processor with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the garlic. Pulse the eggplant a few times so that it’s roughly chopped.
• Make The Ajvar Dip: Once peppers are cool enough to handle, peel them (reserving any juices that collect), discard the peel, and add the peppers and some of the pepper liquid to the food processor. Add the chives and pulse 5 to 8 times to chop coarsely. Stir in the lemon juice, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and sugar.
  Taste and add more sugar, if it is a bit sour, then add salt and freshly ground black pepper, as desired. Serve warm or room temperature as a spread or condiment.

What Is Ajvar?

Ajvar, a condiment made mainly from charred red bell peppers and eggplant, is actually from Macedonia but my first try of it was on everything and anything during my trip to the islands of Croatia. It’s a place I’d travel back to every summer if I could, but the realities of life have gotten in the way. Luckily, just a taste of ajvar is totally transporting, which is awesome because it’s stupidly easy to make.

How To Make Ajvar

Ajvar can be made up to 4 days ahead of time; store refrigerated in an airtight container and bring to room temperature before serving. Taste and stir in more vinegar, sugar, salt, or olive oil as desired. You can also grill the peppers and eggplant for more of a charred flavor.

How To Serve Ajvar Dip

There aren’t too many rules when it comes to ajvar recipes and uses, including the way it’s served. I’ve had it as a condiment with grilled fish and meats, in a sandwich for some oomph, or slathered on a cracker with a drizzle of olive oil and a crumble or smear of whatever goat or feta cheese I can get my hands on. Then I daydream and forget about car troubles, sticky summer heat, and dream of the next time can get back to those gorgeous seas and summers of Croatia.

Go stock up on all your cooking essentials then head into the kitchen, make this, and share it with us by tagging @saltandwind and #swsociety on social!