caponatina

INGREDIENTS

# 1 medium size eggplant, finely diced
# 1 small onion, diced
# 1 stalk of celery, diced
# 1 small red bell pepper, diced
# 1 8oz can of tomato sauce
# 6 green olives, pitted and chopped
# 6 black olives, pitted and chopped
# 1 Tbls of capers
# 1 Tbls of pine nuts
# 2 Tbls of raisins
# 1/2 cup of olive oil
# 1 Tbls of sugar
# 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
# 1/4 tsp. of salt
# 1/4 tsp of freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

# Prepare the eggplant by salting them and letting them stand around a half an hour or more to release the excess water. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel.
# In a frying pan sauté the eggplant in olive oil until tender.
# Remove the eggplant from the pan and drain on a paper towel and set aside.
# Add the onions, celery and bell pepper to the pan and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes.
# Stir in tomato sauce, olives, capers, pine nuts and raisins and simmer for 15 minutes.
# In a separate saucepan slowly heat the vinegar and sugar until sugar is dissolved.
# Stir the sugar vinegar mixture into the tomato sauce .
# Stir in the eggplant.
# Season with salt and pepper.

Serve warm or cool to room temperature before serving. Serve on toasted bread.