Caponata is one of Sicily's essential dishes. It is a vegetarian eggplant salad, made of eggplant (aubergine in the UK) and, onions, bell pepper, celery and tomatoes with briny olives and capers and a splash of vinegar. Some recipes call for an addition of raisins for that sweet/savory profile.
How did I find out about caponata? Many years ago my daughter had an eating disorder and was extremely selective about the foods she would eat. T’s boss was getting married and we hosted a pre-wedding party at our house for the out-of-town guests. The caterer said one of the dishes would be caponata. I’d never heard of it but after he described it, veggie loving me said, “Sure!” Well, my daughter reluctantly tried it and loved it. Veggies, barely any fat, tangy (no raisins in this recipe), and Mediterranean. That’s when health benefits of the Mediterranean diet were coming on the food scene. Caponata gave me hope for her recovery journey. She put it on fish and when she decided pasta was OK, it became a pasta sauce.
I asked the chef for his caponata recipe and it came from a November 2002 Southern Living magazine. I still have the “original” copy he gave to me. It’s been well used.
hmm, I have some asian eggplant in the refrigerator
ReplyDeleteSounds delish. I haven't had it in many years. I love that you have the original recipe still. There is a tuna casserole made with Bisquick that my mother used to make. I'm pretty sure she got the recipe from Sunset magazine but I haven't been able to find it or anything close. It is one of those childhood meals I wish I could replicate.
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