Quick Eggplant Caponata Appetizer Dip

A great crush of rich hues, earthy flavors, and
surprisingly little oil. I wish I made a double batch.

Quick Eggplant Caponata - My own recipe

Ingredients

4 cups diced, unpeeled eggplant (about 3 small eggplants)
3 tablespoons salt for draining eggplant
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 stalk celery heart, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons fruit-infused balsamic vinegar (I used fig)
3 tablespoons capers, drained but not rinsed
1/4 cup black, green or assorted oil-cured olives, pitted, then sliced or chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts, tossed and toasted in a cast-iron skillet for 10 minutes
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Fresh parsley or basil leaves to garnish (optional)

Method

In a large bowl, toss eggplant with salt and set aside to leach bitterness and moisture for 1/2 an hour. Meantime, over medium-low heat, gently warm olive oil in a large skillet for about 20 seconds. Add celery, onion and garlic, stirring to combine. Cook until vegetables are soft and translucent, and garlic is golden without burning, stirring occasionally. Rinse eggplant under running water to remove salt; drain, then pat dry. Add to skillet, stir to combine with other vegetables and leave to simmer at least 15 minutes or until eggplant dice has reduced in size. Stir occasionally, but you can allow eggplant to stick and char a little for added flavor. Add tomato paste and water, stir to combine and gently simmer for about another 10 minutes, again, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar, capers and olives, covering the skillet and lowering the heat to the lowest setting. Let it simmer and steam for about 5 minutes. Remove cover, test for seasoning, adding caper juice and/or vinegar in small amounts if you prefer more salt or tang. Add pine nuts, sprinkle with black pepper, then spoon into a small bowl and top with optional herb garnish. Serve with crostini, pita chips or small slices of toasted Italian bread. Makes approximately 1 1/2 cups of concentrated dip. Serves 3-4 as a light starter. --

This zero-hour post is for Vaishali of Holy Cow! Recipes from a Vegan Kitchen, hosting It's a Vegan World - Italian, and for Rachana of The Gourmet Launchpad, hosting A Healthy Bite.