eggplant caponata

i have never eaten so much eggplant in a year, let alone in a month. we, meaning my farm CSA apparently has had a stellar year for eggplant - add in the one i grew in the garden and i have more eggplant than i know what to do with!

then i remembered an amazing meal justin and i enjoyed on one of out trips to church street in burlington. we found a great little restaurant that sources as many local items as possible and creates all their meals from scratch - that night i went for the eggplant caponata and it was amazing. so i decided i would recreate this dish at home, and you know what - it was even better than i remember.

this meal comes together pretty quickly  - well in my book anyway.

i love any combination of sweet & savory - and this dish certainly delivers.

eggplant, tomatoes & olives = the savory

dark chocolate & golden raisins = the sweet

normally, i like to enjoy my caponata tossed with pasta. but in last weeks CSA i had a beautiful baguette tucked away that was made in the farm stands bakery so that's where the caponata made its home. leftovers were of course tossed with pasta the next day

traditionally caponata is served at room temp as an appetizer.

i love the freshness the basil and pine nuts add to the final dish.

my sister who isn't a big fan of eggplant enjoyed this little nibble just before lunch.

the flavors work so well together you don't even remember the eggplant - well at least i didn't notice an overwhelming presence of eggplant in this dish and i have eaten it for 2 straight weeks with another day's worth stashed in the freezer, only to come out when a quick and easy weeknight meal is called for.

for all of you eggplant haters, this dish may very well convert you into a eggplant lover...or at the very least and eggplant "liker".

Eggplant Caponata

serves 4 - 6 as a main or 24 as an appetizer

you will need:

3 tbsp olive oil

1 large eggplant cut into 1" cubes

2 -3 garlic cloves - minced

2 cups fresh tomatoes

1 cup crushed San Marzano tomatoes

S & P

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup green olives, pitted and roughly chopped

1/3 cup golden raisins

2 tbsp agave, maple syrup or raw honey
1 tbsp finely chopped or grated dark chocolate

Basil

Pine nuts

good crusty bread or pasta

assembly:

heat oil in a large saute pan over medium/high heat - add eggplant and fry tossing occasionally (about 5 minutes) until browned - transfer eggplant to a bowl and set aside.

in the same pan, add tomatoes (fresh & canned), garlic & season with salt & pepper - cook for about 10 minutes or until fresh tomatoes begin to breakdown and tomatoes begin to thicken. add cider vinegar, olives, raisins & sweetener. cook for an additional 10 minutes until mixture thickens. stir in chocolate & reserved eggplant and cook an additional 5-10 minutes until desired thickness has been achieved.

to serve - toss with pasta of choice or serve over crostini, adding basil and pine nuts just before serving.

can be enjoyed at room temp or warm.

enjoy!