Seared Eggplant + Cherry Tomatoes w/Fried Lentils + Tahini Dressing

Tahini is having a bit of a moment in the food world—with the added benefit that it is moving from the often dusty and unspecific “ethnic food” aisle in small grocery stores to the center of the displays. Fine by me. For this dish, I prefer the long, skinny eggplants for the visual effect. If using the more traditional globe eggplants, probably half an eggplant per person is just fine.