Based on Alice Water’s recipe from one of her first cookbooks, Chez Panisse Cooking, this is one of our favorite summer recipes.  Although a bit time consuming, it lasts for a week in the refrigerator and can be enjoyed warm, as a cold salad, or a topping for pasta.

 

3-4 eggplants, peeled & diced

1 large sweet onion, sliced

2-3 sweet peppers, sliced

1 green and 1 gold summer squash, sliced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4-5 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

3-4 garlic cloves, chopped

Basil leaves, torn

Parsley leaves, chopped

Green picholine & Nicoise olives, pitted and chopped

1-tablespoon capers, chopped

Fruity olive oil

Salt & pepper

 

Place the eggplant on a sheet pan, season with salt & peper and cover with foil. Roast in a hot oven until tender.

In a hot sauté pan, add olive oil to coat and sauté the seasoned onion until golden.

Add sweet peppers to pan, season with salt and pepper and sauté until caramelized, deglaze pan with red wine vinegar; set aside pepper and onion mixture in a bowl with eggplant.

Add more oil to pan if needed and sauté seasoned squash on each side until golden; place in bowl with pepper and onion.

Add tomatoes to hot pan (adding more oil if needed) and sauté until excess tomato juice is reduced.

Fold the entire mixture together in sauté pan. Mix gently and simmer until juices are thickened.

Return mixture to bowl; fold in raw garlic, chopped olives, capers, basil leaves and parsley

Taste mixture and season with salt and pepper if needed.  Dress with fruity olive oil or a splash of vinegar, if needed.