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A few weeks ago Paul came home from a trip to Rosemont, our local food market and bakery, with a container of Eggplant Caponata.  After enjoying a bite or two my thoughts of course went to “I must have more of this” followed by “I wonder if I could make this?”

The container from Rosemont listed the ingredients, but I was on my own for the amounts and method of preparation.  Google, being my friend, kindly offered up countless variations of eggplant caponata.  Some had pinenuts.  Some had chocolate!  Feeling a bit overwhelmed with trying to find the perfect recipe amongst the multitude, I decided just to wing it.

I had on hand white eggplant, onions, and home canned tomatoes from this summer’s garden.  From last week’s farm share from Laughing Stock Farm, I had some sweet bell peppers.  All that plus a few pantry and grocery items and I was ready to create kitchen magic (hopefully).

My sous chef and I spent around an hour chopping, sautéing, and simmering, and the resulting caponata was delicious, but perhaps not so lovely to look at.  I think the combination of white eggplant, yellow pepper, and golden raisins along with the other ingredients created a monochromatic color palette.  I think next time I make this I’ll try for veggies with more vibrant colors.  I will be sure to post an update if I come up with the perfect combination of caponata taste and beauty.

To go with the caponata I experimented with making crusty bread, and the two were a perfect pair.  The bread will be the topic of a future post, so stay tuned!

Click here for the Eggplant Caponata recipe.