Ah Aubergine

It's the first week of September. School is in full swing. I have been uber busy teaching classes back to back for the past two weeks. Is it tiring? Yes. However, it's also exhilarating. I love what I do. Seeing the eagerness in my students eyes to learn new culinary terms and to take everything in makes it all worth while. I have to be "on" at all times. Sometimes the questions are about a specific recipe we are working on or a technique. Other times someone will casually inquire about kitchen shoes or ask my opinion on a great spot for samosas in south Austin. This week I taught a series of fundamental classes. Starting with stocks, then sauces and eventually working our way through various dry and wet methods of cooking. It was fun to see the kitchen newbies sweat a bit. The end of the week came fast and with that was a produce fridge full of various odds and ends.

Most of the vegetables and herbs I will cook off on Monday in a huge batch of stock for this week's grains and bean classes. The little eggplants from Johnson's Backyard Garden, those came home with me. What plump little gems of hearty deliciousness! I enjoyed my Sunday making a pot of caponata. Just a big enough batch to fill four jars. Two summers ago while working at Heritage Prairie Farm, in Elburn, IL. I made something with eggplant every other day for 2 weeks when we got a bumper crop. Ratatouille. Rollatini. Parmigiana. We often enjoyed simply grilled eggplant with fresh rosemary, garlic and olive oil. I loved it on warm bread slathered with tangy farmer cheese and topped with torn roasted red peppers. However, my delight of the summer was my caponata. The balance of sweet and tangy, or agrodolce, is what makes it a personal favorite of mine. Caponata is great on crackers, or even better on polenta with dollops of goat cheese.



Eggplant Caponata

Yield: 4 cups


1/2 cup virgin olive oil

1 large Spanish onion, chopped 
3 tablespoons pine nuts
3 tablespoons each dark and golden raisins
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
1 tablespoon hot chili flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped


In a large 12 to 14-inch saute pan, over medium heat, heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the onions, pine nuts, dried fruit and chili flakes and saute for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes.


Add the eggplant, sugar, cinnamon and capers. Continue to cook for 5 more minutes. Add the tomato and vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, then lower heat and simmer caponata for 20 minutes until eggplant is tender, but not mushy. Season to taste with salt and fresh black pepper. Add half of the chopped herbs and mix well.

Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature, garnish with the remaining chopped herbs.