Caponata

Its a classic Sicilian starter or a side dish. 

The sweet and sour dish is eaten with bruschetta,  meat or fish, rice or pasta. It’s a type of vegetarian relish, some add fish to the dish. It’s made with egg plants , bell peppers, celery, tomatoes, zucchini, onions, olives, capers etc. Apart from the vegetables white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar is added for the tanginess and honey, raisins or sugar is added to the dish for sweetness. Some time pine nuts are also added. Each house has their own variant of making Caponata. This dish is eaten when warm, room temperature or cold .. this dish can be cooked a day prior and refrigerated and eaten the next day. 

Ingredients 

3 Long Eggplant cut into cubes 

1 Yellow Zucchini cut into cubes 

1 small Red Bell Pepper cut into half and sliced 

1 Onion cut into half and sliced 

1 Celery stalk sliced 

5 to 6 crushed Garlic 

4 tbsp Green Olives sliced 

Few fresh Parsley for garnishing 

2 tbsp Capers or Pickled Green Peppercorn 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Pepper corn crushed 

4 tbsp White wine vinegar or Red wine vinegar 

3 tbsp Tomato sauce 

1 tbsp Honey 

2 tbsp Olive Oil 

Method 

Sprinkle little salt and drizzle little oil on the egg plants and zucchini, grill the vegetables at 180 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes. Keep them aside. Take a pan, add the olive oil, add the onion, garlic,  bell pepper, and celery, sauté until the onions are lightly browned. Add the olives, capers or pickled pepper corn, tomato sauce, white wine or red wine vinegar, honey, salt and crushed pepper. Stir and sauté for few seconds, add the grilled egg plants and zucchini. Stir and cook for another minute. Sprinkle fresh parsley. Let the dish come to a room temperature, serve the dish with bruschetta.