On The Road to Baba Ganoush. Lumix M4/3 14mm.

After many years of using my smoker to, well, smoke meat, I have  been using it recently to grill things using direct heat.  The difference is this:  smoking uses indirect heat - by placing the coals to one side - to cook  meat at a relatively low temperature  for a long time, while flavoring the smoke, and thus the meat, with aromatic wood shavings or nut shells.  When grilling, the coals are directly below the meat, and the cooking process takes place at a much higher temperature for a shorter time.  While the smoke from grilling does certainly flavor the meat, it doesn't have time to penetrate in the same way that the low temp/long exposure time of smoking does.

Since having received both vaccinations against C-19, I have been able to resume going to the stores to do our grocery shopping.  One of my favorites is the nearby "farm" which supplies vegetables to the local restaurants.  I was there a few days ago, and noticed that they had spectacular-looking Italian eggplants.  My hands were tied; it had to be  Baba Ganoush!  Once the chicken thighs were grilled, on went the eggplants in a special stainless steel tray I have with holes punched in the surface to allow smoke to reach the vegetables.  Imagine all the usual flavors of Baba Ganoush, plus smoke.  It's a winner.