Another week calls for another recipe! It’s been a while since I posted an appetizer on gourmetcubicle, so I thought it would be a good idea to have one while I take a break to enjoy my well-deserved vacation. I will be traveling to Chile, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m thrilled about trying their food and drinks, learning about their habits and traditions, and meeting amazing people on the road.

I didn’t truly think or plan this trip until a few days prior to departure, which left me in panic mode. I like to think of myself as someone who works best under pressure, but that isn’t always the case. I always book my flights ahead of time, but that’s about it—I leave accommodation and research to when I’m there. I like the spontaneity of talking to newfound friends on the road and finding out what’s worth seeing and doing. It works for me, but it can be quite stressful if you’re not used to it. It’s definitely not for everyone.

I usually start feeling the thrill of traveling only a few days before it happens. That’s when I become the annoying person who tells everyone about my upcoming trip: friends, coworkers, neighbors, cashiers at Central Market, and now you, too, my dear reader. By the time you read this, I’ll be backpacking through Torres Del Paine in the breathtaking southern Chilean Patagonia. I’ll be hiking for about a week, and while I’m out there, I’ll be cooking instant ramen noodles, soups and pasta on my camping stove, enjoying cups of hot tea and mountain sunrises from my cozy tent.

I’ll also be spending a week up north on the coast. My dear friend Camilla, who I met during a backpacking trip in Peru a few years ago, put me in touch with some local artists who are going to host me and introduce me to the local art and food scene. One of them, Juan Pablo, was kind enough to invite me to have lunch with his family. His mother will cook a few Chilean specialties. He even offered to teach me a few recipes, so keep an eye on my Instagram and blog because the Cooking with Friends series may have a new post soon.

As I was preparing for this trip, I decided to eat everything that is perishable. I wasn’t really in the mood for anything that required too much work, so when I saw tomatoes bruschetta, came to my mind instantly. There are many variations of bruschetta and differing opinions on which is the original/authentic/traditional recipe. Many people automatically associate bruschetta with tomatoes and basil, but it can also be topped with roasted garlic, beans, cured meats, mozzarella, vegetables, or even olives. All bruschetta, regardless of toppings, consists of four basic ingredients: roasted crusty bread, fresh garlic, fine olive oil, and sea salt. This bread is roasted (or bruscare, in Italian) over coals, thus the name bruschetta.

Bruschetta con Pomodoro, or tomato bruschetta, is the most common way of preparing this simple and delicious appetizer, and it happens to be my favorite variety. Enjoy!

BASIL AND TOMATO BRUSCHETTA

Serves 6-8
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Inactive time: 15 minute

Ingredients

5 Roma tomatoes, deseeded and roughly diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (about 1 Tbsp.)
15-20 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped (about 1/3 cup)
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 ½ Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (preferably from Modena)
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4-5 slices of stale bread cut into ¾ inch thick slices (preferably Tuscan, Ciabatta, Pagnotta or other crusty bread)
1 clove whole garlic
extra virgin olive oil, to taste
coarse sea salt, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F(200C) degrees.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt, pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Toss until all ingredients are well combined. Sprinkle with parmesan and stir again. Taste and adjust seasoning. (Tomatoes love salt, so you may need to add more!)
Allow the tomato mixture to rest for about 15-20 minutes in the refrigerator.
In the meantime, place bread slices on a baking sheet. Toast them in the oven for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip on the other side, and toast them for another minute or so. Remove them from the oven.
Rub freshly toasted bread with garlic and sprinkle with olive oil. Spread a tablespoon or so of tomato mixture. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt to taste. Enjoy!

If you're familiar with my blog, you know that I have a soft spot for stews. I grew up eating them almost weekly. Although most of the times in Romania people will eat meat-based stews it is not unheard of to make stews out of vegetables. Since I'm still sticking to my plan of eating clean in my attempt to get rid of a few extra pounds I decided to try my hand at a vegan dish.

The good news for those who love eggplant as much as I do, is that they are in season. I'm signed up for a bi-weekly delivery of fresh local vegetables from Farmhouse Delivery and the latest vegetable bushel contained these cute baby eggplants that I had no clue what to do with. They were too small for my eggplant lasagna or for my mom's eggplant spread, but too big to pickle them whole. So I looked through my notes on my phone and I found one that said "Make Caponata next time you come across fresh and cheap eggplants". I can't remember exactly where I got the idea from, but it must've been from one of the cooking shows that I've been watching lately.

Caponata is a fragrant Mediterranean eggplant dish that comes from Southern Italy- the island of Sicily to be more specific. It is a versatile summertime classic in Italy. While eggplant, celery, onions, olives, capers, tomatoes, olive oil and vinegar are main ingredients, some Sicilians will add anchovies, artichokes, peppers, potatoes, mushrooms and even chocolate to it. Depending on the region, city or household, opinions are split regarding what goes into the perfect caponata. For me the perfect caponata is one that includes the main ingredients plus a few aromatic herbs for extra flavor.

Caponata can be served warm as a side dish with grilled fish and meats or at room temperature as an antipasto. I found that a nice balance between the sweetness of the vegetables and raisins and the sourness of the vinegar is achieved at room temperature. I went as far as adding a couple of spoons in my scrambled eggs and let me tell you that it was rather delicious. Buon appetito!

SICILIAN CAPONATA WITH GARLIC TOAST

Serves 6-8
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45-50 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs eggplant, diced into large 1" chunks
1 TBS kosher salt
1 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp dried oregano
2 TBS olive oil
3 TBS olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, roughly diced
1/2 cup parsley stems, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1-2 celery stalks, finely chopped (or 1 cup celery root finely chopped)
1 cup green olives, pitted
3 TBS capers, soaked and rinsed
2 TBS balsamic vinegar
1 TBS sugar
1/2 TBS black pepper, freshly ground
kosher salt, to taste
2 TBS slivered almond, toasted
1/4 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 fresh baguette
1 clove garlic

Tomato Sauce

2 TBS olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
2-3 scallions, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and grated
4 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped
4 big ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
6-8 fresh oregano leaves, chopped
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

Salt the eggplant chunks generously. Use about one tablespoon kosher salt and toss well to make sure all chunks are evenly coated. Let them sit in a colander for about 20 minutes. This will help get rid of the bitterness of the eggplant and will also make it less soggy and more tender when cooked.
While the eggplant is resting prepare the tomato sauce. Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When the oil slides easily across the skillet, add shallots, scallions and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes. Toss in garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and oregano and bring to a boil. When it boils, reduce the heat to low-medium, cover with a lid and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. When done, taste and season with salt and pepper and give it another stir. Set aside.
Rinse eggplant under running water to wash off the excess salt. Drain eggplant and place chunks on a tray lined with paper towels. Pat them dry. This is very important because you'll fry them next and you don't want to oil to splatter everywhere.
Once dry, sprinkle coriander and dry oregano coating the eggplant evenly. In a large non stick pan, heat two tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Work in batches if you think that the eggplant won't comfortably fit in the skillet. When the oil is shimmering, add eggplant and toss to coat evenly with oil. When the eggplant chunks are golden brown on each side, about 5-7 minutes, transfer to a paper towel lined tray or wire rack.
In a large and deep stainless steel skillet heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot (it easily slides across the pan), add onions, peppers and parsley stems, stir and cook until onions are translucent, about 7 minutes.
Toss in garlic next, stir and cook for another 2 minutes, then add raisins, eggplant, celery, olives and capers. Toss and cook for another 5 minutes then pour in vinegar and sugar. When the vinegar evaporates, about 5 minute, add tomato sauce. Lower the heat to medium, cover and cook for 5 more minutes. When done remove from the heat.
Taste and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley leaves and toasted almonds.
To toast the almonds, heat a small skillet over high heat. When the skillet is hot, add almonds, toast and stir for 2-3 minutes until they become golden brown.
Cut a baguette in half lengthwise (or slice of bread), toast it and then rub one side with garlic. Top toast with caponata. You can serve it cold or warm, whichever you prefer.

NOTES

When frying the eggplant, don't overload the pan, as it will reduce the heat too drastically and the eggplant chunks will absorb all the oil making them soggy and greasy. Instead work in batches if you have to. Split the amount of oil into the number of batches that you'll cook.
Don't use a cast iron pan as tomatoes and vinegar will be used in this recipe. The acidic reaction between the metal (cast iron) and acid (vinegar and tomatoes) will not only alter the color of the tomatoes, but also may damage your pan if it's not seasoned properly.
When toasting the almonds, make sure you toss and stir often as almond shavings burn fast. When done, remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the almonds immediately to a plate as they'll keep toasting even after you removed the skillet from the heat.
Store caponata in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It will keep well for over a week.

Tomato and Basil Bruschetta

BASIL AND TOMATO BRUSCHETTA

Ingredients

Instructions

Sicilian Caponata with Garlic Toast

SICILIAN CAPONATA WITH GARLIC TOAST

Ingredients

Instructions