Jewish caponata

Yield: 1 Servings

Ingredients:

3 lb Eggplant
1 tb -salt
1/4 ts -pepper
3/4 c Olive oil
2 Celery stalks;diced
1 Onion;large diced
3 Peppers green red & yellow -cored & diced
1 Garlic clove-sliced
1 Carrot;large peeled & -diced
2 ts Flour
2 lb Tomatoes; ripe peeled* and -cut up
1 c Green olives; pitted -coarsely chopped
2 tb Wine vinegar
1 ts Sugar
3 Basil leaves;fresh ;-OR
1 ts -dried Basil
1 tb Parsley Italian;fresh -chopped
2 tb Capers; drained

Instructions:

Caponata Ebraica * to peel tomatoes drop them first into boiling water for about 1 minute then in cool water and the peel will come off immediately. according to the author It's hard to believe, -for

example, that eggplant and fiocchio (fennel), the quintessence of

Italian cooking, were originally only used by Jews. She quotes Pellegrino Artusi in the cookbook _Scienza e L'Arte di Mangiar Bene_ published in 1910 that forty year earlier (1870s) that eggplants and fennel rarely appeared in Florentine markets as they were considered to be Jewish food only. Peel and dice eggplant. Season with salt & pepper and set aside in colander to drain off liquid. Heat the oil in a large skillet; add celery onion peppers garlic and carrot and cook uncovered over moderately high heat stirring occasionally 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer vegetables to shallow baking dish but retain the oil. Add eggplant to oil in skillet and sprinkle with flour. Fry stirring over moderate heat until lightly golden. Add to baking dish with vegetables. Add tomatoes green olives vinegar sugar basil and parlsey and place in 350F oven for 1/2 hour. Remove from oven; mix well taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper if necessary. Add capers stir and place in oven for a couple of minutes longer. Serve hot as a side dish or cold as an appetizer. SERVES: 6 as side dish or 12 as an appetizer