Congratulations to our lunch chef Aram Elie, who last month took home first place honors at a cooking competition hosted by local wine bar Paola’s Vinum.
Herewith, the winning recipe. Enjoy!
Eggplant Caponata
Makes about 25 crostinis
1 eggplant, finely diced
1 red onion, finely diced
3 stalks celery, finely diced
1 bunch Swiss chard: stems, finely diced; greens, roughly chopped
½ c golden raisins
¼ c pine nuts or slivered almonds
¼ c lemon juice
¼ c balsamic vinegar
olive oil
salt
pepper
1 baguette, cut into ¼ in. slices
fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Season eggplant with salt, pepper, and olive oil and roast until tender, about 20-25 minutes.
- Saute red onion, celery, and chard stems in olive oil until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add greens to the saute pan and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes, then add eggplant.
- Stir in raisins, nuts, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar and simmer a few minutes until the flavors blend. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Drizzle baguette slices with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and toast in oven until golden brown.
- Spoon the eggplant mixture onto bread slices and top with Parmesan and a drop or two of balsamic vinegar.
- Serve warm or cold.
