Recipe: Quick and Easy Summer Caponata

 

by Judy Bloom
 

Caponata is a Sicilian version of ratatouille. It’s a flavorful sweet-sour take on eggplant stew. Caponata can be used as part of an antipasto plate, atop thin slices of a toasted baguette like bruschetta, or mixed with small pasta like orzo to create an instant pasta salad. 

Most recipes call for roasting or slow cooking the eggplant and other veggies. I prefer using a pressure cooker, or multi cooker. It makes the preparation a snap, and doesn’t heat up the kitchen. The mixture will thicken slightly upon standing, and the flavors will continue to develop with time, so make this dish ahead and enjoy it for the next day or two, if it lasts that long. Caponata is best served at room temperature.
 

Recipe

4-6 servings Ingredients: 1 large sweet onion, coarsely chopped 2 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced 1 eggplant, cut into 1/2” cubes 1- 2 summer squash, sliced lengthwise and cut into 1/2” chunks 1 pepper (green, red or yellow pepper), cut into 1/2” pieces 1 stalk of celery, sliced on the diagonal, or 1/4 C celery leaves and stems 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved  3T tomato paste 1/4 C raisins 2T capers, drained 3T oil cured pitted olives 1t cinnamon Salt and pepper   2T Olive oil 2T Balsamic vinegar Salt and pepper to taste    2T coarsely chopped basil leaves 2T pignolia nuts (optional)   Directions:    1.  Heat 1T olive oil in multi cooker. Sauté onions until soft. 2. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. 3. Add eggplant, squash, peppers  and celery, and cook until just softened.  4. Add tomatoes to veggies along with tomato paste, raisins, capers and olives.  5. Sprinkle with cinnamon, salt and pepper. 6. Check the level of liquid in cooker. There should be at least 1/2” liquid from cooked veggies. Add additional water if needed. 7. Lock pressure cooker lid and bring up to pressure. Cook at high pressure for 3 minutes. 8. Allow pressure to release naturally. 9. Stir in 1T Balsamic vinegar and remaining 1T olive oil. 10. Add salt and pepper to taste and additional Balsamic, if needed to make flavors pop. 11. Garnish with shredded basil and pignolias, if using.