Tuesday, October 27, 2009

tunisian eggplant appetizer



This stuff is amazing. It is designed as an appetizer to be served with pita bread and is best served at room temperature. Our friend, Marcela, has made it for several work functions and finally brought me in the recipe. I recently discovered that it is from Mollie Katzen's "Still Life with Menu" Cookbook. I did not add the artichoke hearts and actually mixed it up with some pasta for dinner. I was also imagining it as a soup if I had added some broth. Hmmm......the ideas are endless.

1 medium sized onion finely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 TB tomato paste
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup small pitted green olives
1 small jar (6 oz.) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
pinches of dried tarragon, basil, and/or oregano (optional)

-Saute onion and garlic in a small amount of olive oil over medium heat until soft
-Add eggplant cubes, stir and cover. Cook until the eggplant is very well done (15-20 minutes), stirring occasionally, adding small amounts of oil to prevent sticking.
-Stir in tomato paste and vinegar and heat to boil. Add olives and remove from heat.
-Stir in artichoke hearts, then cool to room temperature. Add herbs to taste.

So, so, so, so good!!!


3 comments:

  1. One of Devin's teachers in the afterschool program made this pumpkin, not me. Cute, isn't it?

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  2. This is from the Mollie Katzen book "Still Life with Menu". It's a classic, and she definitely deserves credit for it. I love this recipe, have been making it for years. Served at many pot luck parties and much loved by all!

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  3. Thanks so much! I love it and will update my post.

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