Caponatina

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 269

All ingredients ready? Let's begin!
Cut then ends off of the eggplants. Cut the eggplants into 1” cubes. You can partially peel the eggplants (vertical stripes) to minimize any bitterness.
Place the capers in a strainer and rinse well, especially if they are packed in salt. Set aside to drain.
In a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat, warm up the vegetable oil. Fry the eggplant in a single layer until golden brown, approximately 2 minutes per batch. Don’t crowd the pan. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant to a paper towel lined platter.
Remove any excess vegetable oil from the pan. Pour in the olive oil and warm it up. Add the onions and bay leaves. Cook until the onions have softened, approximately 10 minutes.
Add the capers, celery, tomatoes, olives, and pine nuts to the onions. Cook through, stirring as needed until the celery has softened, approximately 5 minutes.
In a small saucepot over medium heat, warm the vinegar and sugar until the sugar dissolves.
Add the eggplant and vinegar/sugar mixture to the pan of vegetables and warm everything up for about 30 seconds until the flavors combine.
Remove the bay leaves and discard them. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Spoon the caponatina into a serving bowl and set aside until it cools or refrigerate overnight.
Serve with toasted baguette slices. This can be spooned onto the crostini.