Caponata by Lynette Rohrer Shirk
This is an Italian country classic. Caponata is excellent stuffed into endive petals, small Romaine lettuce wraps, and fabulous tortilla wraps. You can spread it over grilled fish or chicken.
Serves 8
Serving Size ¾ cup
Calories: 69.35
Protein: 1.26 grams
Carbohydrates: 8.04 grams
Fiber: 2.4 grams
Fat: 4.1 grams
1 eggplant
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4–6 stalks of celery
¼ large onion
¼ cup green olives
2 tablespoons olive oil
1½ cups canned diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon capers
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
Cut the eggplant in cubes and put them in a colander in the sink or over a larger bowl. Sprinkle them with salt and let them drain for 15 to 60 minutes, depending on your time constraints.
Dice the celery and onion, and chop the green olives.
Sauté the celery and onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 15 minutes over medium heat in a 6-quart pot. Transfer to a bowl and reserve.
Sauté the eggplant in the pot for 10 minutes in the remaining olive oil. Return the sautéed celery and onions to the pot and add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate.
Salt and Eggplant
Salting eggplant reduces the bitterness of the eggplant. Be sure to place the eggplant in a colander so that as the salt draws the liquid out of the eggplant, the liquid can easily drain away. The longer you can let the salt work its magic, the less bitter your eggplant will be. Also consider the size of your eggplant; larger eggplants tend to be more bitter than smaller ones.
