I froze several quarts of Sicilian Caponata earlier this summer. I have not had time to cook much with my office move and recent travel. I just thawed it out and served it over spaghetti squash, which I also had frozen, shredded zucchini, arugula or potatoes. And of course you can enjoy it a multitude of other ways. Caponata is a delicious way to deal with the last of the eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and squash. The sugar and vinegar in caponata preserved the dish on long sailing voyages and provided essential vitamin C to the sailors.
Sicilian Caponata
This caponata freezes beautifully. Even though the recipe specifically calls for certain squashes and eggplant, I just use whatever I have. Some weeks it will have more zucchini, other weeks more eggplant. This is another recipe inspired by Chef Michael Turner of the Classic Cup Cafe in Kansas City.
½ cup grape seed oil
1 medium red onion, cut into ½” dice
2 ribs celery, cut into ½” dice
1 medium yellow squash, cut into ½” dice
1 medium green zucchini squash, ½” dice
1 medium eggplant, peeled, cut into ½” dice
1 TBSP sea salt
¾ cup kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
2 TBSP capers, drained
½ cup currants
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/3 cup rapadura or turbinado sugar
¼ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary, basil, oregano and parsley
Place the eggplant in a colander. Sprinkle with sea salt and allow to sweat for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion, celery, squashes and eggplant until aromatic. Add the olives, capers, currants and garlic. Sauté for five minutes more. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 – 20 minutes until the vegetables are cooked through. Serve over whole grain pasta or thickly sliced whole grain bread to make bruschetta. May be served as a side dish. Serve warm, cold or at room temperature. Serves 4 – 6.
Comments