Eggplant caponata

when I bite into a juicy hamburger at Sweet Lou’s, which is ironic because about half of my clan is vegetarian. Nowadays, it’s not that uncommon for meatless meals at my house.

I made a big batch of eggplant caponata this past weekend, and both of my girls agreed it was the best batch I’d ever cooked. Even my 2-year-old, caper-loving granddaughter Runa devoured it. The recipe originates from Sicily, about as far south as you can get in Italy from the orange-tossing area of Ivrea.

You don’t need to be a vegetarian or observing Lent to add this toddler-approved, perfectly piquant eggplant dish to your culinary repertoire.

Caponata is a tangy and tasty vegetarian dish that originates from Sicily. Serve it as an appetizer or salad. It’s delicious warm, cold or room temperature. You can make it a couple of days ahead and store it in the fridge in a tightly sealed storage container, but it’s best warmed up a bit, served on baguette slices or topping some fresh greens.

INGREDIENTS: DIRECTIONS:

• 1 large eggplant (about 1 ½ pounds, cut into 1-inch cubes)

• Sea salt

• Extra virgin olive oil

• 1 yellow onion chopped

• 1 red bell pepper cored and chopped

• 1 green bell pepper cored and chopped

• 2 small celery stalks (pull strings and slice thin)

• 1 15 oz-can diced tomatoes with juice

• Coarse ground pepper

• 2 tablespoon capers, rinsed well

• ¼ cup pitted green olives roughly chopped

• 2 tsp sugar

•1 bay leaf

• ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar

• ¼ dry white wine

• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the eggplant cubes in a colander, sprinkle liberally with salt. Leave in colander for 20 or 30 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Rinse well, place on sheet pan and pat dry with paper towel. Drizzle with 3-4 tbs of olive oil and toss gently on sheet to coat cubes. Roast the eggplant in the heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until browned.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add the onions, bell pepper and celery. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Gently stir/toss with wooden spoon until tender, about 7-8 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, capers, olives, sugar, bay leaf and crushed pepper flakes. Pour in the vinegar and white wine. Stir to combine. Simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the sauce is thickened

Stir in the roasted eggplant and stir gently. Cook about 5 more minutes. Let it cool down a bit, and finish with fresh parsley. Serve warm or refrigerate for later.