Title: Jewish Caponata
Categories: Jewish Italian Appetizer Vegetable
Yield: 1 Servings

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

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 parsley 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

SOURCE: _The Classic Cuisine of the Italian Jews_

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