Eggplant Caponata with Grilled Polenta Wedges

Sicilian Eggplant Caponata with Grilled Polenta Wedges. Warm, stewy eggplant and tomatoes with all the Italian flavors. Vegan and Gluten Free.

I carry your heart with me, I carry it in my heart.
I am never without it,
anywhere I go, you go, my dear
and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling

I fear, no fate, for you are my fate, my sweet
I want no world, for beautiful you are my world, my true
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life
which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the starts apart

 I carry your heart, I carry it in my heart.

E. E. Cummings

All my love, to the moon and back you guys. Congratulations to my dearest buds, Anna + Tom. xx

Sicilian Eggplant Caponata with Grilled Polenta Wedges. Warm, stewy eggplant and tomatoes with all the Italian flavors. Vegan and Gluten Free.


EGGPLANT CAPONATA WITH GRILLED POLENTA WEDGES

Summer lovin’, had me a blast! Warm, stewy eggplant and tomatoes with all the Italian flavors served beside crispy polenta wedges, September nights don’t get much better than this. Polenta can be made the day before, and these wedges are a great way to use up any leftover cooked polenta. Serves 4 – 6. Vegan + Gluten free.

Caponata recipe slightly adapted from the one and only, Jamie Oliver.

Ingredients

Extra virgin olive oil
3 firm medium sized eggplants, cut into large chunks
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1 bunch fresh flat leaf parsley, leaves removed and set aside, stalks finely chopped
2 tablespoons salted capers, rinsed and drained
Large handful green olives, pitted an roughly chopped
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
5-6 medium roma tomatoes, roughly chopped

Slivered almonds, to serve

Polenta

1 cup quick cooking fine polenta
3 1/2 cups water
Sea salt

Instructions 

Grilled Polenta

Bring 3 1/2 cups of salted water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and add in 1 cup of fine grain quick cooking polenta, whisking continuously to avoid clumps. Reduce heat down to lowest setting, and stir polenta as it begins to thicken, this should only take a few minutes. Spread cooked polenta into a baking dish greased with olive oil and set aside to let cool. The longer you let cool to easier it will be to grill, I’ve made this a day ahead and it works great.

Once cooled, sliced into squares or triangles and brush with olive oil. Grill on a hot grill pan or bbq for a few minutes on each side, until charred and crispy.

Caponata

Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat and add in chopped eggplant. Season with salt and stir so the eggplant is coated in oil, adding more olive if it seems a bit dry. Cook on high for 5-10 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the eggplant are golden brown on all sides and starting to soften.

Add in the onion, garlic and parsley stems and continue to cook on high for a few more minutes, until everything is soft and smelling amazing. Then add the capers, olives and vinegar and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and you’ve scraped off any bits stuck to the bottom. Now add in the tomatoes and reduce heat.

Simmer for 15 minutes, or longer, until everything is stewy and soft. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Before serving drizzle with a little extra olive oil, and sprinkle with lots of fresh chopped parsley leaves and slivered almonds. Serve warm or at room temperature with grilled polenta wedges.


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