Caponata - or Sicilian starter

After a few days in Sicily, the taste buds crave those sweet and sour, sharp and soft sensations you experience from a plate of antipasti misto: olives, a shaving of pecorino, rich tasting tomatoes, a little savoury sausage or italian ham and the best of all, caponata. I realised that I have a recipe for something like this aubergine stew/come sauce, so here goes - maybe not entirely authentic but pretty good as a start to a meal or as part of a fabulous plate of tastes.

Caponata

I large aubergine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
At least 1 clove garlic
1 red pepper
Some olives, black or green, and parsley to finish

1. Cut aubergine into thick slices and then into sticks or cubes
2. Salt them over a colander, leave for 20 minutes or so, rinse under the tap and dry
3. Brown lightly in the oil
4. Add the vinegar and finely chopped garlic
5. Add the red pepper chopped
6. Season
7. Let it stew until soft - but make sure the vegetables still have some bite
8. Leave to go cold but don't refrigerate if you are going to eat it the same day. if keeping it, bring up to room temperature again
9. Add the olives and parsley

This is easy to produce in quantities - 2 aubergines etc.
An optional extra is some chopped tomatoes or a small tin at the stewing stage.

You could also try this mushroom version which I think the Sicilians would approve of. The two together might make a meal with bread or rice or could be part of a substantial feast or buffet for a crowd.

Mushroom starter

3-4 cloves of garlic in 2 tablespoons oil
1lb mushrooms
12 chopped olives

1. Cook garlic gently first
2. Add the mushrooms
3. Season with S&P
4. Add a teaspoon or more of white wine vinegar and 1 teaspoon Dijon or grain mustard
5. Cook until it is a thick mixture and the mushrooms are soft
6. Add some extra oil and parsley to serve at room temperature