Eggplant Spread (Baklazhannaia Ikra)

Serve this very cold with highly-flavored breads.

Yield: about 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 (1 pound) eggplant
• 1 medium green bell pepper
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• Cocktail pumpernickel rye bread or black bread

Instructions

1. Prick eggplant 3 or 4 times with fork.
2. Wrap green pepper in aluminum foil.
3. Place eggplant and green pepper in shallow baking dish.
4. Bake at 400 degrees F until eggplant is very soft, about 35 minutes; cool.
5. Remove skin from eggplant and seeds from green pepper; chop eggplant and green pepper.
6. Cook and stir onion and garlic in oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until onion is tender.
7. Stir in eggplant, green pepper and remaining ingredients except bread. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
8. Place mixture in blender container. Cover and blend on high speed, stopping blender occasionally to scrape sides, until smooth, about 1 minute.
9. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours.
10. Serve with bread.