Caponata

Slice your eggplant into small cubes and place them into a colander. Season them generously with salt. Place colander over a small pot or bowl to collect the liquid released from the eggplant. Set aside for approximately 30 minutes. WHILE eggplant is releasing its liquid, do your prep work: chop your zucchini, onion, celery, bell pepper and olives, and set aside.

When eggplant is done, pat the cubes dry with a paper towel. Into a large saute pan, add 8 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the eggplant and cook until golden, stirring frequently. Do this in batches. When golden, transfer the eggplant with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb oil. Continue until all eggplant is cooked. If you need to add a little olive oil during cooking, do so.

Wipe your pan dry and add approximately 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onions and celery and cook for approximately 5 minutes until golden, stirring frequently. Add the zucchini and cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring frequently. At this point, add the tomatoes and roasted red bell pepper. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, again stirring frequently. Add the capers, olives and eggplant. Gently stir everything together. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with the roughly chopped basil.

Serve over crostini! (To make crostini: slice your bread on an angle, place them onto a sheet pan, drizzle olive oil on top and season with salt. Cook at 375 degrees until golden.)

Buon Appetito!