Preheat the oven (or a toaster oven) to 450 F. Lightly oil the zucchini and eggplant and place them, whole, directly on a baking sheet. Bake 30-45 minutes until the skins begin to blacken and buckle and the insides feel soft. Set them aside to cool.

While the zucchini and eggplant are cooking, heat the olive oil in a small pan and add the mashed or finely diced garlic. Lightly sauté the garlic for about 30 seconds, stirring frequently. When it is just beginning to turn golden, add the garlic to the tahini, along with the lemon juice. Blend those ingredients and set them aside.

Once the zucchini and eggplant are cool enough to handle, scoop out their insides and discard the skins. Chop the (squishy) insides in a wooden bowl with a rounded chopper or use a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the parsley and mix thoroughly.

Add the tahini, garlic and lemon juice mixture to the zucchini, eggplant, and parsley mixture.

Blend in the cumin, salt, and optional cayenne pepper. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 1 hour to give it time to cool down and for the flavors to meld.