Well, summer is quickly winding down and the kids are back in school. Soon fall will be here and the air will feel a little cooler. But, for now, gardeners everywhere are still reaping the rewards of their labor in the form of tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers, etc. This recipe is a great way to make use of all of those vegetables.
Caponata is a Sicilian eggplant dish. It’s like a cooked vegetable salad or relish done in agrodolce style, which is a very Sicilian thing. Agrodolce simply means”sweet and sour” and is usually achieved by using a combination of vinegar and sugar. It’s a very versatile dish, able to be eaten hot, cold, or at room temperature. I love this as a topping for grilled bread, but it’s also delicious in a sandwich (plain or with Italian meats and cheeses) or alongside roast meat or fish or a fried egg in the morning. There are many different variations of caponata, probably as many as there are cooks. This one comes from Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis. I love it!
Everyday Caponata (makes about 1 quart)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2″ pieces
14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes with the juices
3 tblsp. raisins
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
4 tsp. sugar
1 tblsp. drained capers
1/2 tsp. salt (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper (or more to taste)
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
