Caponata

Caponata is a Sicilian dish, consisting of principally eggplant, peppers, tomatoes,and herbs   It is traditionally served as an appetizer or anti pasta.  I like it with some crusty Italian bread. This recipe comes from an Italian cooking class that I took in Norwalk Connecticut many years ago.

Ingredients:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 small onions - sliced
2 Cloves garlic - sliced
One pound Italian eggplant - skin removed and cut into 1/2 in cubes
Four red peppers - sliced into thin strips
Salt/ Pepper
Four or five plum tomatoes - peeled and sliced
Two teaspoons capers - drained
12 Italian black olives - pitted and coarsely chopped
Four fillets of anchovies - chopped
Dried oregano


Preparation:

In a large sauce pan heat about 2 TBSP of the olive oil. Add onions and garlic and saute over low heat until translucent.  Add eggplant and peppers.  Season with salt and pepper and cook over a medium flame for about twenty minutes. Add tomatoes and a generous amount of dried oregano. Cook till eggplant and peppers are done.  Add olives, capers and anchovies and remove from the flame. Let sit at room temperature for two hours before serving.  Will keep in the fridge for a week or so, but always let it warm up before serving.