Caponata

Caponata is summer simmering in a pot. This appetizer of Sicilian origin features eggplant and many other fave summer veg such as zucchini and peppers. This dish is meant to be served at room temp, and it tastes better the longer the flavors have to blend together. So, it's a great one to make ahead.

I enjoy caponata with fresh bread and some Italian cheese, but it is a perfect accompaniment meat, chicken and fish. It also would rock over a bed of creamy polenta.

Many versions call for raisins and capers. Feel free to add some to my version if you like!

I like to salt the eggplant and set aside while chopping all the other veg.

The final step is adding a simple syrup, which brings a little sweetness to the savory. You can also up the amount of hot pepper flakes you use if you want it spicier. Please note, I don't add much salt to this dish as the olives are salty. Feel free to add some after tasting if you would like. 

I hope you get to try this while summer's bounty of eggplant, zucchini and peppers is still in full force.

Here's a glimpse of some of the prep work:

And next up, is the recipe. Enjoy!

Caponata

Makes 10-12 servings

1 medium eggplant, skin peeled in 1/2 inch strips so that it is not fully peeled, chopped into 1/2-inch dice

1/2 tsp. salt

1 zucchini, chopped in 1/2-inch dice

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 cubanelle peppers or 2 green bell peppers, diced

1 onion, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

5 cloves garlic, sliced

1 can (28 oz) San Marzano tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil, plus 3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 cup green Calstelvetrano olives, pitted and sliced

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. sugar

Ground pepper

1/2 cup fresh basil, torn

Place eggplant in a colander. Toss with 1/2 tsp. salt. Set aside for 20-25 minutes.

In a large Dutch oven, add 1/4 cup olive oil over medium high heat. Saute eggplant for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove to a plate using a slotted spoon.

Add remaining 3 Tbsp. olive oil to the same Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add red pepper flakes, zucchini, celery, onion, red peppers, cubanelle peppers and olives. Saute for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic. Saute another 2 minutes. Return eggplant to pot.

Place San Marzano tomatoes in a medium sized bowl and crush with your hands or a potato masher. Add to the pot. Stir.

Season with pepper. Bring to a simmer. Partially cover and cook for 20-25 minutes.

In a small sauce pan, bring white wine vinegar to a boil. Add sugar. Stir over high heat until mixture thickens slightly. About five minutes. Add vinegar mixture to the pot of vegetables. Stir in basil. Simmer for 5 minutes.

You may season with salt to taste if desired. Due to the saltiness of the olives, I don't add extra salt to the caponata.

To serve: Bring to room temperature. Serve with bread or cheese. You may also use the caponata to accompany meat or fish or to top a sandwich.

Extra servings may be frozen for later use.

Grilled Eggplant Parm

Eggplant Parmesan is one of my fave dishes. Vegetarian. Comforting. I love it.

Oftentimes when ordering the dish out on the restaurant scene, the eggplant is breaded and fried. My way cuts all of that out. The eggplant is brushed with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and grilled on my trusty grill pan.

Because the eggplant is prepared in this way, the true flavor of the vegetable shines through the layers of marinara and cheese. In the traditional way, the breading and frying can mask the texture and the yumminess of the star of the show.

I'm pretty certain grilling the eggplants and eliminating the egg wash and breading cuts calories in some fashion. I'm no nutritionist, but I mean common sense, right?

My recipe for marinara is listed below as well. I served my eggplant parm with some cavatelli in marinara. A perfect duo.

Warning to all of my cooking friends who are looking for a rush job on this: It takes time. From making the sauce, to grilling the eggplant and waiting for things to cool. Bank on a few hours when all is said and done. But it is worth it!

Grilled Eggplant Parm
Makes 8 servings

2 large eggplants, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices (16-20)
48 ounces marinara, warmed (recipe below)
2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Drizzle olive oil into a 13 by 9 Pyrex glass baking dish. Coat the bottom and sides with the oil using a paper towel.

Line up eggplant slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper on both sides. You will need to do this in batches or use multiple baking sheets.

Meanwhile, heat a grill pan over high heat. Grill eggplant on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side, in batches. Don't overcrowd the pan. Four to five fit on my pan at a time.

 Remove from grill pan and let cool on another baking sheet.

Spread about a cup of marinara sauce over the bottom of the glass baking dish. Layer half of the eggplant slices on top.

Spread about another cup or so of sauce on top. Sprinkle evenly with a cup of mozzarella and 1/4 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Layer the remaining eggplant on top of the cheese, followed by more sauce and the remaining cheese.

Cover the entire pan with aluminum foil. Poke about 8 to 10 slits throughout the foil to ventilate the dish while it is in the oven.

Bake covered dish in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes uncovered. Remove from oven. Cover with foil again and let set for about 20 minutes.

Serve with your favorite pasta and remaining marinara.

Here's my traditional marinara recipe:

Susan's Marinara
2 Tbsp. olive oil
8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 can Cento pureed tomatoes (28. oz)
1 can Cento crushed tomatoes (28 oz.)
A little bit of water – probably half a cup
20 fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, onion and red pepper flakes. Cook for about five minutes, until fragrant.

Add the pureed and crushed tomatoes. Use a little bit of water to rinse off the tomato on the sides of the cans and pour into pot.The water should measure to a half cup.

Add salt and pepper to taste. I did 20 grinds of my pepper mill and a scant 1/4 tsp. salt.

Snip basil leaves into pot with cooking shears.

Turn your heat down to low. Simmer partially covered for 45 minutes. Make sure you stir every 5 to 10 minutes.

Eggplant Only in My Dreams

One of the benefits of my insomnia is that I dream colossal epic dreams that I remember quite vividly upon waking up no less than three times per night usually over a 6-to-7 hour rest, if you can call it that. Tossing and turning to settle; craving water; trying to find zen after crazy adrenaline triggered by copious amounts of asthma meds; dozing in and out; waking up to use the potty; tucking in the sheets; feeling hot; feeling cold; stretching; uber focusing on every creak, snore, breath that torments my ears as signs that others are at rest while my non-stop mind is not; pep talking to psyche myself up for some shut eye; making mental lists; worrying; fluffing pillows; pacing; refilling my water glass; anticipating the drill-like sound of the alarm (which I always beat by waking up before its shock-to-the-system buzz). This pretty much sums up my daily sleep situation for my whole entire existence. About once every month or two, I will crash and burn, sleeping hard and unscathed until like 10:30 in the morning. Then I wake up startled, heart racing, wondering what in the hell just happened.

My dreams stay with me for very long periods of time. I feel like this is a blessing because so many people forget their dreams instantly. I have dreamt of my deceased grandmothers; I knew I was having a baby boy without a doubt because of my dreams; I dream of people I haven't seen in ages and then that day I see them; I dream multi-chaptered dreams of my friends and family. And I remember so much. Plot lines. Character development. Dialogue. Costumes. Sets. The twists and turns. So many details. It's a bit trippy. But I accept this as my sleep reality: Little sleep and a whole lot to think about.

Last night, I dreamt of this: Eggplant on a bed of arugula, topped with goat cheese, a plum tomato salad and a drizzle of balsamic. The colors, the plating, the taste - all there in my dream. Vividly. I woke up wanting to eat this immediately. Of course, I needed to make this happen ASAP.

My dreams always mean something. I think. Probably not. Although, I have read that people who remember their dreams more than three times per week are considered out-of-the-ordinary genius masterminds as opposed to common folk who actually sleep a solid eight hours, feel well-rested and remember nada.

So clearly I am a major rock star omniscient smarty pants.

I tell this to myself daily as I walk into rooms with a purpose, the task at hand slipping from my mind in a blink of an eye. Why am I here? I'm so existential. Or when I leave the grocery store only to immediately create a new list of items because I forgot this or that.  Or when I run back to the house halfway down the street to double check that I locked the door or to grab my phone mocking me from the kitchen island.  But, but, but.... I'm a dream erudite. Who cares if I'm a total moron in real life.

So, Summer Eggplant Salad. That's what I'm calling this dish. It is a wonderful salad fit for a dinner party or a fancy shindig or just you and The Husband on a Monday. Cause that's how we do. You can prepare the tomato salad and grill the eggplant ahead of time. And then plate it right before serving. I love how this dish highlights so many Jersey Fresh goodies at this time of year: Eggplant, tomatoes, basil and parsley. The goat cheese and balsamic are some decadence thrown in for good measure.

Summer Eggplant Salad
Serves 8

Eggplant layer:
1 medium-large eggplant, cut into 8 to 10 half-inch thick slices
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat grill pan over medium-high heat.

Brush each side of eggplant slices with olive oil. Season each side with salt and pepper to taste. Grill each side of eggplant for 6 to 10 minutes per side until nicely marked. Set aside.

Tomato salad:
4 plum tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup red onion, minced
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, minced
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Gently mix all ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

To assemble salad:
8 grilled eggplant slices
Tomato salad
4 cups baby arugula
8 Tbsp. fresh goat cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Balsamic vinegar

On eight salad plates, place 1/2 cup of baby arugula. Season with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

On top of arugula, place a slice of eggplant.

On top of each eggplant slice, place one Tbsp. of goat cheese.

Spoon 1/4 cup of tomato salad onto the goat cheese. Lightly drizzle 1/2 tsp. of balsamic vinegar onto each finished plate.

Serve and enjoy!

Marinated Eggplant

It seems many peeps like to get in and get out of the kitchen as fast as they can when conjuring up some eats for the day.  The Jersey Girl, on the other hand, looks forward longingly to those days that I can master a dish that took quite a bit of time, much preparation and above all patience. This is how I set my sights on creating some lovely Marinated Eggplant. It most definitely is not to be rushed.

As is often the case when I make something that is multi-stepped and requires some waiting around, timing things just right and a cooling off period, I so wanted to ring up my Mommom and tell her all about my culinary adventure, hoping to pop by and give her a taste. But that experience in my cooking accomplishments has come and gone. Mommom passed away about a year ago.

She made an amazing marinated eggplant. And I guess that's why it's on my mind. Approaching the anniversary of her death, I can't help but think about the unforgettable dishes she has made throughout the many years of her cooking for all of us.

I don't have a copy of my grandmother's marinated eggplant. I don't really know if she had one. She often stored culinary blueprints in the corners of her brilliant mind with no tangible documentation save for the finished delicious product.

But I tried to replicate it as best I could with this Poached Eggplant with Vinegar, Garlic and Mint recipe by Lidia Bastianich. I used basil instead of mint. I couldn't get my hands on nice mint at the time. I know this isn't peak eggplant season, but I wanted to give it a try before summer hits so I know what I'm doing when I find myself with boatloads of eggplant. (My students, family and friends often bestow me with vast quantities of produce. A fact of life if you live in South Jersey.)

This if magnifico on just really fresh Italian bread. I'm sure it would rock with some grilled meats or swordfish. And of course a wonderful glass or bottle of vino. I know I did my Mommom proud with this one.

Poached Eggplant with Vinegar, Garlic and Mint

Serves 6 or more as a side dish; 12 or more as an antipasto
By Lidia Bastianich
From Lidia's Family Table

For Poaching
2 1/4 pounds small, firm eggplants (preferably 6 to 8 ounces each)
2 cups red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar or cider vinegar

For Marinating
1/2 teaspoon salt
15 to 20 small fresh mint leaves, shredded
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Recommended Equipment
An 8-quart pot or saucepan for poaching
A flat baking sheet or platter for cooling the eggplant

Prepping and Poaching the Eggplant
Trim the stem and bottom (blossom) ends of the eggplants. Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise, then slice each half into wedges, about 1 1/2 inches wide on the outside (peel side). You should have thirty or more wedges.

Pour the vinegar and 20 cups water into the pot, cover and heat quickly until boiling. Drop in all the eggplant slices, cover and return the liquid to the boil rapidly, then set the cover ajar and adjust the heat so it's a moderate boil.

Push the eggplant under the surface frequently, shifting the pieces around a bit so they all poach evenly. After about 10 minutes, reduce the heat so the liquid is perking gently and won't break up the softening wedges. Cook for a total of 15 to 20 minutes, until the flesh of the eggplant appears completely translucent - any opaque streaks means it is not cooked through. Don't cook any longer than necessary; as soon as they are done, turn off the heat and carefully lift the wedges out of the liquid with a wide, perforated spatula or strainer - let the liquid drain off briefly - and lay them on the baking sheet. Spread the slices apart from each other in one layer and let them cool for a few minutes.

Marinating the Eggplant

 Using a paring knife, cut out the stuck-together mass of seeds on each slice and discard, taking care not to tear the flesh; don't worry if a few seeds are left.

As you seed them, lay a third of the wedges in the small gratin dish in one layer, and top them with the seasonings; sprinkle on a third of the salt and a third of the mint-leaf shreds, scatter a third of the garlic slices, and drizzle a third of the oil all over. Arrange and season two more layers of eggplant in the same way.

Marinate the eggplant for about an hour at room temperature before serving or using in a dish (though they will be tasty in 30 minutes if you need them sooner).

If you are making this ahead for serving the next day, seal the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate; remove at least an hour before using so it comes to room temperature. To keep after the second day, remove the garlic slices from the dish, wrap and refrigerate; use within a week.

Please note: The Jersey Girl used basil instead of mint.

Eggplant Rollatini

Tis the season of eggplant.

My Eggplant Rollatini is a great main dish for vegetarians or if you just feel like going meatless for a night.

I prefer this over Eggplant Parm - not that there's anything wrong with a little Eggplant Parm now and again. But in this recipe, because the veg is grilled not fried. And there is no need for dipping and dabbling in eggs and breadcrumbs.

Nonetheless, preparing the rollatini is a bit time consuming. This isn't a 30-minute meal. So crack open some wine and put on some tunes. Enjoy the process.

You of course could take a shortcut and use jarred marinara, but The Jersey Girl just so happened to have a batch of homemade sauce chilling out in the freezer. This is a great time of year to rock out some marinara with the abundance of fresh basil everywhere. And jarred sauces don't exist in my house. Once a snob, always a snob. Here's my marinara recipe, in case you are inspired to rock some out.

And onto the main event: Eggplant.

Eggplant Rollatini
Makes 8 to 10 rolls

2 large eggplants, sliced lengthwise 1/2 inchwide. Each eggplant should yield 4 to 5 slices
Salt
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup fresh mozzarella, diced
3 Tbsp.grated parmigiano
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
2 cups marinara
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Lay eggplant slices on two baking sheets. Sprinkle each with a pinch of salt on both sides. Let rest for 15 minutes. This process will extract extra water.

Once the 15 minutes is up, rinse each piece under water and dry on kitchen towels.

Line up eggplant on baking sheets, and brush each side with olive oil.

Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Working in batches, grill eggplant for about five minutes per side. Eggplant should have gorgeous grill marks and should be pliable, as we see here:

Remove from pan and let cool on baking sheets. Repeat until all are cooked.

Meanwhile, in a bowl combine ricotta cheese and egg gently with a whisk. Using a rubber spatula, fold in mozzarella, parmigiano and basil. Set aside.

One the eggplant slices are cooled, sprinkle each with salt and fresh pepper. Lightly oil a 13 by 9 inch glass baking dish.

Evenly divide ricotta filling among the 8 to 10 slices of eggplant starting on the narrow end of each slice. The filling should not go up about 1/4 of the length of each slice.

 Gently wrap each eggplant into a roll over the filling and line up each roll in the prepared baking dish. So orderly!

Top each roll with a generous spoonful of marinara sauce. Now we're talking.

Bake for 15 minutes uncovered in a preheated 375 degree oven. And enjoy, all you wild and crazy vegetarians!

Alison Rocks the Pasta

Good cooks and good looks run in the family.

Take my cousin Alison (shown at left in the photo above). She’s a goddess, natch.

She does social work down in Baltimore at a school. She’s married to John and has an amazingly adorable daughter, Olivia, who looks JUST LIKE her mom.

Alison is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever known. She loves to help others. She has amazing style and exquisite taste, which is why I know you'll want to learn her secrets to good eats.

Alison’s totally like my third sister. I miss her so much! We’re only a year apart. When we were kids, we were inseparable. She’d sleep over all the time. We’d hang. Go swimming. Try on clothes. Talk about boys. You know, usual girl stuff.

Thankfully, as adults we keep in touch pretty regularly. (Although it should be more, Alison. We can do better!) And, being the awesome cuz that she is, Alison typed up her Roasted Eggplant, Cherry Tomatoes and Penne recipe for my rockin’ blog, which prompts me to strongly encourage her, my other cousins and my darling sisters to send me your recipes! Come on. You know you want to. I have millions of fans out there dying to know what you cook.

So here’s her recipe. Alison comes up with awesome pasta dishes. She takes her pasta very seriously. I’m sure if she lived near me, we would host dozens of dinner parties together and be fabulous. And our husbands would clean up.

In the spirit of Alison, Mangia!

Roasted Eggplant, Cherry Tomatoes and Penne
Alison Sullivan

2 eggplants, quartered
2 cups whole cherry tomatoes (take a knife and puncture tiny holes in them so they don't explode while cooking)
Olive oil
Handful of basil
Penne or any type of pasta would do
Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss the veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper and place them on a baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes. While the eggplant and tomatoes are roasting in the oven, boil water for the pasta. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain. Add all the veggies to the pasta along with more olive oil until glistening. Add the basil, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. You can serve this warm or at room temperature.