Caponata
Deliciously sweet, salty, and crunchy… no, I am not talking about something from a vending machine. Caponata is Sicilian eggplant-based appetizer that can be served with crusty whole grain baguette slices or whole grain crackers.
This version is sweet from golden raisins, salty from capers, and crunchy from pine nuts–yum. The flavors develop even more the next day so I like to prepare it ahead of time and leave in the refrigerator for a quick snack. It is supposed to be served at room temperature but I eat it cold also.
I haven’t made Caponata in years. I stumbled across the recipe when I was preparing for a recent cooking workshop. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Furman invited me to lead a few cooking workshops featuring vegan cuisine. No, I am not a vegan. But I eat a lot of plant-based meals and was happy to share some ideas. Here is our class preparing for one of the big feasts:
The workshop favorite was definitely the BBQ Tempeh Sandwiches which received rave reviews.
So, back to Caponata…
Most of the class members were not vegan. However, they were interested in eating more plant-based foods. Some found it frustrating to entertain vegan family members and friends and were searching for tasty inspiration Appetizers, in particular, are not usually vegan friendly (or very healthy)- fried chicken or cheese, meatballs, wings, cheese dip and chips, etc.
I was excited to share this recipe with them and hope that you enjoy it also.
Caponata
Select eggplant that is small and firm since the larger varieties have more seeds and can be a little bitter.
Ingredients
3 Tbsp. pine nuts
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1lb. eggplant, diced into ¼” pieces (about 4 cups)
1 medium Vidalia onion, diced into ¼” pieces
1 red bell pepper, diced into ¼” pieces
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
¼ tsp. salt
1/3 cup golden raisins
3 Tbsp. capers, drained
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
serve with toasted slices of whole grain baguette, whole grain pita chips, or whole grain crackers like Triscuits or Ak-mak
Directions
Pour pine nuts into a large dry skillet over medium heat. Toast for a few minutes until they are fragrant and lightly golden. Transfer the pine nuts to a separate dish and return skillet to the heat. Add oil and raise heat to medium-high. Add eggplant, onion, peppers, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in sugar, lemon juice, and salt; cook 1 minute. Stir in raisins, capers, and pine nuts. Remove from heat and stir in basil. Serve Caponata at room temperature with slices of toasted whole wheat baguette, whole grain pita chips, or whole grain crackers.
Notes:
Pine nuts are also called pignolias and are the edible seeds of a pine tree. They are mild and slightly sweet. Pine nuts can usually be found with the nuts or spices in the supermarket. You can substitute other nuts but the flavor will not be the same.
Capers are berries from the caper plant. They are usually brined and can be found in jars next to the olives in the supermarket. I love to serve them over fish with lemon juice.
Golden raisins are pale colored raisins. I used the Sun-Maid variety in my regular grocery store. The flavor is similar to darker varieties so feel free to substitute if needed.