Sicilys Great Eggplant - Tomato Stew

I ran into a friend yesterday, who tells me that he should be harvesting eggplants from his garden any day now. Of course, this got me thinking about Caponata, the famous Sicilian eggplant and tomato stew.

This is a terrific 'contorno', vegetable course, and also a great topping for 'bruschetta', Tuscany's grilled bread. Of course it's one of the quintessential Italian antipasti too. And when you can walk into your own garden and harvest the vegetables to put it together, Caponata becomes all the more magical.

Italians have a particular fondness for 'le primizie', the smallest of the first crop of vegetables. So if you have access to a garden-either your own or a friend's-or if you can get to a farm stand, now is the time for you to be thinking about caponata too.

The recipe below is excerpted from my first cookbook, "La Cucina dei Poveri."

My Grandmother's Caponata

When the garden was in full swing during the summer, Noonie (my grandmother) would harvest-well, more accurately, she would direct Pop (my grandfather) to harvest some eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers for this delicious antipasto that she referred to as 'Caponatina. My recollections fail as to how she served it, but I'm betting that it was over a piece of Italian bread that Pop had fried in olive oil.

Nowadays, I serve it over bruschetta made from some good Tuscan bread which-I'm happy to report-seems to be turning up more and more frequently at supermarket bakeries.

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbs. Olive oil

• 2 Cloves garlic, peeled, and thinly sliced

• 1 Medium onion, peeled, and chopped

• 1 Medium eggplant (approximately 1 1/4 Lb.) cut into 1 inch cubes

• 2 Medium bell peppers

• 1/4 Lb. Green olives, pits removed

• 1 Tbs. Capers

• 1 Cup Italian plum tomatoes, roughly chopped

• 1/4 Cup sugar

• 1/4Cup red wine vinegar

• 1/2 Cup raisins

• 2 Tbs. Fresh mint, chopped

• 1/4 tsp. Red pepper flakes

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat, then add the garlic. Sauté until the garlic just begins to give off its aroma-perhaps a minute or two. Add the onion and sauté for about five minutes, until it becomes translucent.

Add the eggplant and sauté for about five minutes or until it begins to soften, but still has plenty of texture. Add the peppers, olives, and capers and sauté until the peppers become tender. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking to incorporate the tomatoes with the other ingredients and to begin to form a sauce.

Add the sugar, spreading it evenly over the pan, then the vinegar, raisins, mint, and red pepper flakes. Stir well to blend all the ingredients, then remove from the heat.

Italians typically serve Caponata at room temperature.

Serves four to six.

About The Author

Skip Lombardi is the author of two cookbooks: "La Cucina dei Poveri: Recipes from my Sicilian Grandparents," and "Almost Italian: Recipes from America's Little Italys." He has been a Broadway musician, high-school math teacher, software engineer, and a fledgeling blogger. But he has never let any of those pursuits get in the way of his passion for cooking and eating. Visit his Web site to learn more about his cookbooks. http://www.skiplombardi.com or contact Mr. Lombardi at

info@skiplombardi.com

---

Recipe: Chocolate Modeling Clay

Ingredients:6 oz. chocolate chips5 teaspoons corn syrup1 gallon size zip-top... Read More

Cooking Roast Prime Rib on the Grill

Love the taste of prime rib? Love the taste of... Read More

How I Made Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies In Simple, Super Easy Steps

I was sitting there watching one of my favorite tv... Read More

Easy No-Roll Pie Crust

EASY No-Roll Pie Crust3 cups flour1 teaspoon salt2 teaspoons sugar2/3... Read More

Sicilys Great Eggplant - Tomato Stew

I ran into a friend yesterday, who tells me that... Read More

Fancy Up Your Muffins

We introduced muffins to you last week and many of... Read More

Weight Loss Recipe: Turkey Tomato Wrap

Are you struggling to lose or maintain your weight? Then... Read More

Wild Watercress Soupt (Nasturtium officinale)

Wild Watercress soup is a delicious and nutritious recipe with... Read More

Cookware: What You Need And What You Don?t

Cookware is always a rather contentious subject. I have seen... Read More

Mrs. Butters? Secret Key Lime Pie Recipe

"Frozen Key Lime Pie recipe?" Fern Butters asked. "Child, I'll... Read More

Mouth Watering Memphis Style Pork Ribs

The Memphis Style pork rib is one of the most... Read More

Fish Recipes

These recipes are wonderful and they are old family recpies.... Read More

Chocolate Tasting Techniques

First of all start with an empty stomach. This has... Read More

Tuna Patties With Lemon Dill Sauce

Lean protein is your diet is essential to weight loss... Read More

English Cucumber Sandwiches

Have you tried English cucumbers yet? They're a little different... Read More

Weight Loss Recipe: Chicken Tikka

Long term weight loss isn't about hunger, misery and crash... Read More

Shake Things Up With Fun Milkshakes

Milkshakes have been around since the old days of drugstore... Read More

Noodles

Different cultures have their own way of taking some water... Read More

Dining With The Romans

Numerius was a slave and ate one meal a day... Read More

Chocolate Velvet Cheesecake

Cheesecake is one of the most popular desserts around today.... Read More

Rosemary flower candies (Rosemarinus officinalis)

Leave your tic-tacs at home. This medicinal plant provides delicious... Read More

All About Strawberry Shortcakes

Strawberry shortcake may be a 200 year-old American invention. With... Read More

Chicken Wings with Oyster Sauce

Chicken wings with oyster sauce Servings: 3-4Ingredients: 12 chicken wings½... Read More

Pasta Recipes ? The Very Best In Italian Cuisine!

These pasta recipes are excellent for dinners or parties.In this... Read More

Easy Trail Mixes

Before you set off on your next family walk or... Read More

Staight Talk from a Comfort Foodie: World Peace Through Vegetarianism

I became a vegetarian in the early 80's. The Czech... Read More

Simply Salads

"It is just sensible."exclaimed my friend. She was referring to... Read More

How to Make Beer

Making beer is easy, inexpensive, and most of all, fun.... Read More

Mediterranean Grilled Vegetable Soup

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) there are five elements... Read More

Swordfish, a Nutritious and Healthy Addition to Any Diet

Swordfish belongs to the group of fish that have recently... Read More

Low Carb Recipes Actually Taste Great!

Many people are beginning diets that encourage low carb recipes... Read More

Grandmas Peach Canning Recipe

Grandma loved to bake peach pies or top pancakes with... Read More

Texas Pecan Treats

Come August, there is nowhere I'd rather NOT be than... Read More