Late Summer Caponata

When I was at the glorious Cheval Blanc St-Barth this July, we were so impressed with their food (and fell in love with the hotel—Guest Book here!). There were several starters that we loved so much, I begged them for the recipes. I’ll share their caponata recipe first, since now is when most farmer’s markets have all of these ingredients in abundance. It is so delicious, served preferably at room temperature, and gets even better after some time in the fridge. We use it as a side dish, but it’s also nice spread on a hearty cracker or a grilled flatbread at cocktail hour.

Caponata  Recipe

1 zucchini, diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large onion, diced
1 large eggplant, diced
3 tomatoes, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1/4 cup olive oil (plus more for cooking)
1/2 cup homemade tomato sauce
1/4 cup dried grapes (raisins)
2 tablespoons pine nuts
Fresh basil leaves, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F). Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté each vegetable separately: start with the eggplant, then zucchini, celery, onion, tomatoes, and finally red peppers. Cook until each vegetable is tender and slightly caramelized. Transfer each batch to a large bowl as it’s done. Once all the vegetables are cooked, mix them together in the bowl. Add the homemade tomato sauce and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let the caponata cool to room temperature. Before serving, mix in the dried grapes, pine nuts, basil, lemon juice, and wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled or at room temperature.