Pan con Caponata 

Divino Ristorante

Courtesy of Chef Chris Harpel

1 medium sized eggplant (1 to 1½ pounds), peeled and diced into ¼ inch

pieces

1 lemon

¼ cup olive oil, divided

½ medium onion, diced into ¼ inch pieces

3 Roma tomatoes, chopped (or substitute sun-dried tomatoes)

1 tablespoon. capers, chopped

3 tablespoons olives (mix of green and Kalamata) chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup parsley chopped (Italian flat leaf parsley is best)

1 baguette, focaccia, or other crusty bread

4 to 5 ounces. goat cheese at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice baguette into 18 ¼- to ½-inch slices. Brush with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Arrange slices on baking sheet and toast to golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. Cool. Bread can be toasted a day or two ahead of time and held in an airtight container.

Increase oven heat to 475 degrees. Spread peeled, diced eggplant on large baking sheet. Lightly coat eggplant with about 4 tablespoons of oil. Toss with lemon juice, salt and pepper Go easy with seasonings at this point since capers and olive will add saltiness later. 

Roast eggplant until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so to ensure even cooking and prevent sticking. Taste a piece to check if it has reached a sweet caramelized flavor. Do not let it get dark brown, as it will add bitterness to the dish. It will shrink dramatically in cooking. That's okay, it helps concentrate the sweetness you want.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Sauté onion until it caramelizes and turns a deep brown. Again, you want to bring out the natural sweetness, not let it burn. Add roasted eggplant, diced tomatoes, capers, olives, sugar and vinegar to onions, and stew mixture over medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and add parsley. Cool mixture. When it is room temperature, taste for salt and pepper and add if necessary.

Refrigerate until you are ready to serve. Caponata will keep in refrigerator two to four days. Serve at room temperature. If it is too thick, thin with a little extra virgin olive oil.

To assemble and serve, spread each toast with approximately 1 teaspoon of. goat cheese (the exact amount is a matter of personal preference). Heap 1 tablespoon or so of caponata on top of the cheese. Pass as a plate of appetizers, or serve on individual plates, with lightly dressed salad greens and additional chopped plum tomatoes.

Serves six.