Ajvar

Roast the red peppers, eggplant and spicy peppers. Remove blackened skin and seeds from peppers and set aside.

Put the peppers, eggplant, garlic cloves, and olive oil in a large stock pot. Puree the ingredients using an immersion hand blender. I don’t like my ajvar totally smooth, but prefer it with a chunky texture. Puree to your desired taste. Cook the ajvar, on low heat, for approximately 2 hours. The ajvar will look thick. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.

Finally, jar the ajvar for your fridge, shelf and gifts.

Note: My friends added figs to her ajvar, which created a sweeter spread. I added some cocoa, adding a smoky depth to the ajvar.