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LIGHT & LOCAL |
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May was designated Italian month for our Newcomers Hawai'i Kai recipe exchange group.
This is one of the more colorful and flavorful menus we have had. Members contributed the following: eggplant caponata with crostini; wedding soup; antipasti; baked pasta with tomatoes and mozzarella; chocolate amaretti cake topped with hazelnut gelato, plus Italian wines and tea.
My contribution was the appetizer. Eggplant caponata is an eggplant relish that originated in Sicily. It is served as an appetizer, at room temperature. Traditionally, it is made from chopped fried eggplants and peppers, and seasoned with green (or black) olives, capers and celery. During the 1700s, it was considered a main course. Today it is served as a side dish or appetizer. Restaurants in Sicily add lobster, shrimp, fish and baby octopus to the sauce.
If you are not fond of eggplant, use canned artichokes instead. Other than that, use only the freshest of ingredients. Combining and mixing the ingredients separately is key to the quality of this dish. When I tested the recipe for the first time, I salted and pressed the eggplant. Because it was difficult to remove every speck of salt, it was a little salty. For the second test, I was in a hurry and skipped this step. The sauce was just as good with less salt.
Rao's Tomato Basil Homemade Sauce seems a bit pricey ($9.99 for 24 ounces), but it was well worth it. It tastes like homemade sauce minus the labor. There was about 3/4 cup left, so I added this to my leftover caponata and thinned it down with tomato sauce and water and poured it over whole wheat pasta: another meal. I got two appetizers and one pasta dish out of one bottle. All the ingredients were from Safeway in Hawai'i Kai.
EGGPLANT CAPONATA
Lay the eggplant squares in a colander and sprinkle evenly with salt. Put the colander in the sink and place a plate on top of the eggplant. Put a heavy weight on the plate to press on the eggplant for half an hour. This process releases the bitter juices of the eggplant.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Wipe off excess salt and juices from the eggplant. Spray olive oil on a baking sheet and spread the eggplant on the surface. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown and softened.
Spray olive oil in a skillet and saute onions until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, green olives and capers and cook for 2 to 3 minutes; set aside. Add the roasted eggplant and cocoa powder and cook for 2 minutes.
In a small saucepan, combine the balsamic vinegar and the sugar and heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. To this mixture add the red wine, then combined with the eggplant mixture and reduce the liquid by half. Add the tomato sauce and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes or until it reaches a thick dip consistency. You can serve it right away, but it is best refrigerated overnight and brought back to room temperature the day you serve it. Serve with crostini, garlic toast or pita bread.
Makes 2 cups (approximately 2 or 3 tablespoons per serving).
Want a local recipe lightened up? Write Light & Local, Taste Section, The Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; or taste@honoluluadvertiser.com. Carol Devenot is a Kaimuki-raised kama'aina, teacher and recipe consultant, and author of "Island Light Cuisine" (Blue Sea Publishing, paper, 2003). Learn more at www.islandlightcuisine.com.
