Caponatina

Ingredients

2-3 Eggplants each between 6"-8" in length (peeled and cubed into 1" square pieces) Smaller eggplants have lesser seeds and some may desire that more, you may need to increase this to 4 if you go with small ones.

1 1/4 cups of thinly sliced celery ribs (about 2 ribs)

1 1/2 cups of boiling water

1 1/2 cups of olive oil

2 thinly sliced onions

1/2 cup of redpack tomato paste or small can of redpack tomato sauce (you can use your own homemade sauce)

1 1/2 cups of pitted and chopped Scicilian olives

1/4 cup of capers in wine vinegar (drain capers first)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup of red wine vinegar

Freshly ground pepper

Fresh sliced italian bread to serve with completed caponatina

Preparation

In a small sauce pan add the celery pieces to the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes

Strain celery but keep water for use later in this recipe

In a large skillet, heat 1/2 cup of oil, and fry half of the eggplant cubes until browned (10-15 minutes)

Drain fried pieces on brown paper

Heat another 1/2 cup of oil to skillet and fry second half of eggplant (10-15 minutes). Drain on brown paper when done.

Heat last 1/2 cup of oil and fry and saute' onion slices until soft and translucent

Lower heat on skillet and add tomato paste/sauce, left over celery water (just the water not celery yet), olives, capers, sugar and vinegar. Mix and simmer for 5 minutes

Add the eggplant pieces and then celery.

Simmer mixture for 10 minutes.

Add salt, pepper and additional sugar or vinegar to taste.

Place completed dish on a dish for several hours to marinate in all ingredients for several hours before serving