Eggplant tomato relish

I had eggplant, tomatoes, onions and basil from the garden. So I decide to make this relish.

I got this recipe from the Wednesday July 28, 2010 Chicago Tribune, Good Eating section. Originally, it comes from the Williams-Sonoma "The Art of Preserving" by Rick Fields and Rebecca Courchesne with Lisa Atwood.

It is an updated version of caponata, a Sicilian antipasto. Serve with crusty bread or stirred into linguine or spaghetti.

Ingredients:
2 lbs eggplant sliced 3/4 thick
1/4 cup salt
1.75 lbs tomatoes, peeled, cored, cut in 3/4" dice
4 tbs olive oil
1 onion cut in a rough dice
2 cloves garlic minced
1/3 cup Kalamata Olives
3 tbs lightly toasted pine nuts (these are ridiculously expensive, so much so, that I consider them optional)
2 tbs capers
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup finely sliced basil
salt and pepper to taste

Put eggplant in a colander, sprinkle with the salt, allow to drain for 1 hour. Rinse under cold water, cut into 3/4 inch dice.

Heat 3 tbs oil in large sauce pan. Cook eggplant in batches, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes, transfer to plate.

Add remaining oil to pot, reduce heat to medium low, add onion and cook until tender - about 10 minutes.

Add garlic, cooking stirring often for 2 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, olives, pine nuts, capers, and vinegar.

Raise heat to high and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, gently stir in eggplant and basil, simmer until heated through.

Season with pepper (salt if needed, but olives and capers provide salt)

Ladle hot relish into  sterilized jars leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe rims clean and adjust two piece lids.

Process jar in boiling water canner 20 minutes for 1/2 pints, 25 minutes for pints.

Cool jars, test seals, store. If seal fails, refrigerate that jar for up to two weeks.

I got 2 pints and 1 half-pint from this recipe, plus a little left over. It was delicious with pasta.

Use it up!

Until next time, Eat Well & Keep Digging!.


The Gastronomic Gardener
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