Grilled Caponata Bruschetta

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Smoky, tangy, salty – a snack that takes ripe summer vegetables to another level.

Ingredients  

Makes about 12 large bruschetta

2 medium onions
1 lb ripe tomatoes
2 medium eggplant
2 large loaves of French bread
Olive oil, about 1 cup
2 red peppers
6 celery ribs from the heart, with leaves
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced    

1 small bunch fresh thyme
¼ cup capers
½ cup Italian green olives
Parsley stems from ½ bunch
½ cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
Sea salt & pepper

Instructions

  1. Start the grill.
  2. Cut the onions in half crosswise (do not peel). Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise. Peel the eggplant, and cut lengthwise into ½ inch thick slices. Cut the French bread, on a steep diagonal, into 1½ inch thick slices.
  3. Brush the open faces of the onions, tomatoes, eggplant and bread generously with olive oil.
  4. Grill the onions, tomatoes, eggplant, bread, red peppers and celery over a hot grill. The red peppers will take longest, so put them on first; add other pieces as you have room. The red peppers should be charred all over. The onions and tomatoes should be charred only on their open faces. The eggplant slices should be medium brown on both sides. The celery need only be lightly browned. The bread should nicely toasted, golden and crisped.
  5. Put the grilled bread slices into a large paper bag, and crimp shut. Peel and medium chop the onions. Finely chop the tomatoes, retaining all their juice. Chop the eggplant to medium dice. Peel and medium chop the red peppers. Thinly slice the celery. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. De-stem the thyme, to obtain 2 tsp of leaves; set aside 8 additional sprigs of thyme. Rinse the capers in water. Pit the green olives, and chop finely.
  6. In a large, deep, nonreactive skillet, combine ¼ cup of the olive oil with the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
  7. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  8. Add the tomatoes and their juice, red peppers, 8 thyme sprigs and parsley stems. Cover and simmer gently, stirring from time to time, until the peppers are soft about 8 minutes.
  9. Meanwhile, in another skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the celery, and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes.
  10. Transfer the sautéed celery to the main skillet, with the onion/tomato mixture. Add the eggplant and thyme leaves. Season lightly with salt. Cover and simmer gently until all the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.
  11. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the vinegar and sugar; stir to dissolve the sugar.
  12. Add the vinegar mixture, capers and olives to the vegetables and simmer over low heat to blend the flavors, 1 to 2 minutes.
  13. Season to taste with black pepper, and more salt if necessary. Discard the parsley stems and thyme sprigs, and let cool to room temperature.
  14. When ready to serve, remove the bread slices from the paper bag, and top each with a very generous amount of caponata.