Garden Fresh Eggplant Caponata

Happy Foodie Friday everyone! The day I present recipes and ideas for "upscale eating" or entertaining at home and today we're going to visit Sicily for a classic rustic dish!

Eggplant Caponata is filled with delicious ingredients like olives, raisins, pine nuts, toasted almonds, summer vegetables, and, of course, egg plant! Serve it as a side dish, with pasta, or as I like to do; as a topping for meat or fish,

Caponata takes a lightly seasoned white fish like halibut, sole, or snapper to whole new places and can make for a quick, easy, and impressive weekend dinner or lunch because it can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Visit the printable recipe here:

Watch my easy to follow step by step video to learn how to dice and chop the vegetables and assemble this beautiful dish!



Eggplant Caponata Ingredients
Recipe Credit: Earth to Table Seasonal Recipes from an Organic Farm by: Jeff Crump and Bettina Schormann

• 2 large diced eggplants 
• 2 tbsp kosher or sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups olive oil NOT extra virign
• 6 stalks diced celery
• 1/2 bulb diced fennel
• 1 medium diced zucchini
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 medium onion cut into chunks
• 3 medium diced tomatoes
• 1 cup drained, coarsely chopped green olives
• 1/2 cup drained capers
• 1/2 cup sultana raisins
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• sea salt and black pepper to taste (start at 1/4 tsp, taste, readjust, add more 1/4 tsp at a time until you get the flavour you like)
• 3/4 cup whole raw almonds lightly toasted
• 1/2 cup minced fresh basil

Directions

1. In a colander over a large bowl, toss the eggplant with 2 tbsp salt. Let drain for 1 hour. Rinse well and pat dry with paper towels. 
2. In a large deep pot, heat 1 cup of the olive oil over medium until hot but not smoking. Add celery and fennel and saute 1 minute. Add zucchini and saute for 3 minutes. Add the eggplant and saute until the vegetables are golden brown and tender, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to a plate lined with paper towels; set aside. 
3. Add the remaining oil to the pot and saute garlic and onion over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, olives, capers, raisins, pine nuts, vinegar, and sugar and cook for 10 minutes. Add reserved vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
4. Transfer to a wide, shallow dish and let cool for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving.Can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
5. About an hour before serving, remove from the fridge and bring to room temperature. Serve sprinkled with almonds and fresh basil.

Author:

Lyndsay Wells is a professional trainer, writer, and program developer with a passion for food and cooking. She is an award winning recipe developer, and a website ambassador for Kraft Foods Canada. Lyndsay believes cooking should be approachable and easy and has great tips and ideas for putting together sophisticated looking dishes that cooks of all levels can accomplish.

Visit her daily on her blog, The Kitchen Witch or on her YouTube Channel, CHARMED With The Kitchen Witch.