Category: Vegetables

Like Pat’s Caponata

Eggplants did not darken my mother’s kitchen. Like her friends she believed that they were poisonous fruits related to deadly nightshade that would kill you “before you could say Jack Robinson.” By the time I was in the eighth grade I had learned that tomatoes and potatoes were also relatives of deadly nightshade and that people had once thought both of those staples in the Rang household were poisonous. When I pointed this out, Mom told me that people were wrong about potatoes and tomatoes but right about eggplants. End of argument.

I didn’t know what to do with them anyway, though Eddie, my Italian friend in high school, told me that his grandfather made a dish called Eggplant Parmigiana that was pretty good. The first time that I knowingly ate eggplant was in caponata in Murray, Kentucky. Though I knew better, I remember wondering what it would feel like to die of eggplant poisoning. After a few bites, however, I was wondering only how I had lived nearly thirty years before discovering just how delicious eggplant could taste.

Our friend Pat, who was very proud of her Sicilian heritage, introduced us to this delicious antipasto. We have lost Pat’s recipe, but I remember her saying that it was just important to have lots of everything and then season it right. Caponata is really a Sicilian eggplant stew, and there are probably as many versions as there are grandmothers in Sicily. This version gets its unique flavor from capers, cider vinegar and a little sugar to give a hint of sweetness. Caponata improves by sitting in the refrigerator for a day or two and keeps well for a week. It can be served as a side dish, but we prefer it on crackers or slices of Italian bread or bruschetta.

INGREDIENTS:

2 eggplants (about 1 1/2 lbs. total)
1 large yellow onion
2 large cloves garlic
4 stalks celery
4 medium tomatoes
1/2 to 3/4 cup olives
1 4 oz. can mushrooms
1 T pignolia (pine) nuts
2 T capers
4 T extra virgin olive oil, separated
3 – 4 T apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. sugar
Salt & pepper to taste

PROCEDURE:

Wash and remove the stems from the eggplants, then slice them a quarter-inch thick. Layer the slices in a flat baking dish or something similar, sprinkling each layer with salt. Put a weighted plate on top and let the eggplant sit for up to an hour to draw out the bitter juices. While you are waiting on the eggplant, chop the celery and tomato medium fine and set aside in a bowl. Chop the onion fine and mince the garlic.

Drain the eggplant and press the slices gently to remove excess juice, then rinse and drain the slices and pat them dry with paper towels. Dice the eggplant. Heat about two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the eggplant over moderate heat until it is slightly browned and softened. If the eggplant looks dry you can add a little more olive oil. Remove the eggplant to a bowl and set it aside.

Heat another two tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet and sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent and just starting to turn golden. Add the celery, tomato and two or three tablespoons of water to the onion. Cover and steam the vegetables ten minutes, stirring three or four times.

Add the eggplant, pignolia nuts and capers. Drain and add the mushrooms. Stir in the vinegar, a half teaspoon of sugar, a quarter teaspoon of salt, and about an eighth teaspoon of black pepper. Stir together and simmer covered about ten minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sliced olives. We use a combination of green and black olives. Adjust the seasoning.

NOTE: You can find beautiful eggplants at farmers markets. There are different varieties but we prefer the dark purple ones up to about six inches in diameter. Choose fruits that are smooth and firm.

Esther’s Warmer Salat

When Jerri’s Mennonite ancestors came to the the United States, they brought with them recipes that reflect the history of their search for religious freedom as they moved from the coast of the North Sea to the steppes of Russia.  “Warmer Salat” most likely originated when the followers of Menno Simons were still living in Friesland, an ideal place for growing beautiful lettuce.

When Jerri was a little girl she thought that her mother was saying that the family would have “vatima salat” because W’s are pronounced as V’s and Esther rolled her R’s so decisively, but however you pronounce the words, Esther’s Warmer Salat is delicious.

Esther taught her how to make this version of “warm salad” which we both like a lot.  It makes a good lunch accompanied with bread and butter, or you can serve it with boiled potatoes as the main dish for dinner.  It is quick and easy to make.  The only downside of this recipe is that it has more calories and fat than plain lettuce.  On the upside, it tastes a lot better than plain lettuce.  If you always eat your lettuce without dressing, you might want to skip this recipe, but if you occasionally drizzle oil and vinegar over it, be sure to try it.

INGREDIENTS:

5 or 6 cups leaf lettuce (not iceberg lettuce)
3 or 4 strips bacon
3 or 4 T flour
1/2 to 3/4 tsp. salt
2 T cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups water

PROCEDURE:

Wash the lettuce, separate the leaves from the stem and tear large leaves in half.  Slice the bacon into 1/4 inch pieces and fry it until done but not crisp.  Drain the bacon fat, leaving about 3 tablespoons in the pan.  Add the flour and salt and cook for 2 or 3 minutes to make a roux.  Add the vinegar and 1 1/2 cups of water and cook until you have a thick gravy.  Add the lettuce and cook one or two minutes until the lettuce is warm and wilted.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Serve immediately accompanied by vinegar and salt, so guests can add more if they wish.

NOTES:  If you would like the correct pronunciation, it is “VARmuh zaLAHT.”  Julia Child has a recipe for braised lettuce, so it is not only the Mennonites who cook lettuce until it wilts.  This recipe is a lot simpler than Julia’s.