Mmmmm....Eggplant!

I never tried eggplant in my life until about 6 months ago. I tried roasting it and thought it was pretty good, but haven't made it much since then. I found a recipe somewhere for an eggplant spread that sounded tasty and whipped it up, though I changed it a bit. I'm not sure it looks all that appetizing in this photo, but it was quite tasty when scooped up with Kashi crackers!

Eggplant Spread
made about 2 1/2 cups

1 medium eggplant (about a pound)
1 T olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
3/4 c chopped onions
1 tsp ground ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 fresh chile (I used a Poblano, which probably wasn't the best choice since it took forever to get tender. Next time I'd try either an Anaheim (mild but more tender) or habanero (hot!))
1 cup chopped tomatoes (fresh)
1/2 tsp salt
~1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
big squeeze of Sriracha hot sauce

Prick the eggplant a few times with a fork, put it on a baking sheet, and roast at 425 degrees until soft, about 30 min. Remove from oven and set aside to cool

While the eggplant roasts, heat the oil in a large skillet on med-high heat, add the cumin, onions, ginger, and garlic and let them sizzle for 10 seconds or so. Lower the heat to med-low and cook until onions are translucent and starting to brown, about 12 min. I added a little water as I went because it was starting to stick. Add the chile, tomatoes, and salt, and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are soft and their juice has mostly evaporated, about 15 min

When the eggplants are cool enough to handle, cut them in half lengthwise, scoop out the flesh, coarsely chop it, and add it to the skillet. Stir in the cilantro and cook for about 5 min, until everything is heated through. Give it a whirl in the food processor and serve it warm or cold.