i bought them because they were cute.

do you ever buy stuff because it's cute? because of the packaging or whatever? i am a complete sucker for that, so of course i fell for the adorable baby eggplant. and i don't even like eggplant all that much. but there i was, buying a pound of it. for the hell of it.

i baked it with my fresh garlic stems, olive oil and s&p. then i tasted it and decided that i didn't like it, so i found a recipe for some dip and adapted it to suit my finicky palate. i added roasted red peppers, chickpeas and red pepper flakes. next time, i'd just forget the capers. i served it up with some pita chips i made (those suckers cook fast!) and for the carnivores, baked chicken with lemon and garlic and an ensalata with hearts of palm and roasted beets (can i turn into a beet for eating too many?).

those cuties turned out to help me make a nice meal.