GRILLED VEGETABLE CAPONATA

Grilled Vegetable Caponata image

Number Of Ingredients 15

2 eggplant, long, slender (about 1 1/2 pounds in all)
8 cloves garlic, peeled and cut lengthwise in half
2 tomatoes, medium, fresh and ripe
2 onions, medium, peeled and cut in quarters (leave on the root ends)
2 ribs celery, trimmed
1 red bell pepper, medium
1 green bell pepper, medium
5 tablespoons olive oil, extra-virgin, or as needed
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf)
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons capers, drained
2 tablespoons olives, chopped, pitted (green or black - your choice)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, , or more to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa

Steps:

1. Preheat the grill to high.2. Make 8 slits in each eggplant with the tip of a paring knife and insert a half clove of garlic in each. Lightly brush the eggplants, tomatoes, onions, celery, and bell peppers with oil, using about 2 tablespoons, and season with salt and pepper. 3. When ready to cook, arrange the vegetables on the hot grate. Grill the eggplants until the skin is charred all over and the flesh is very soft, 20 to 30 minutes, turning with tongs as needed. Grill the tomatoes, turning with tongs, until the skin is black and blistered, 8 to 12 minutes. Grill the onions, celery, and peppers the same way these will take 10 to 20 minutes in all. Transfer the vegetables as they are done to a cutting board to cool.4. Scrape the charred skin off the vegetables with a paring knife. Remove the stem end from the eggplants and coarsely chop the flesh. Core the tomatoes, then cut crosswise in half, wring out the seeds, and coarsely chop the flesh. Thinly slice the onions, first cutting off the root ends, and celery. Core, seed, and thinly slice the peppers. Transfer the vegetables to a serving bowl.5. Stir in 3 tablespoons oil, the parsley, pine nuts, capers, olives, 2 tablespoons vinegar, the cocoa powder, and salt and pepper. Toss well to mix. Taste for seasoning, adding salt or vinegar as necessary the caponata should be highly seasoned. Serve at room temperature.Serves 6 as an appetizer, 4 as a salad

Nutrition Facts : Nutritional Facts Serves