Here's the recipe for the caponta Brendan & I made yesterday for our Garden To Table cooking demos at the New York Botanical Garden's Edible Garden. This caponata makes wonderful bruschetta as an appetizer; a delicious sandwich on thick foccacia; or a wonderful topping or side for grilled fish, steak, or lamb.

I recommend using tiny fairytale eggplants for their mild flavor and simpler preparation, and cherry tomatoes, but conventionally sized eggplants and beefsteak, heirloom, or even canned or boxed diced tomatoes will work fine, as well. See my notes following the recipe for tips on how to prep larger eggplants and tomatoes.

Farmer's Market Caponata

Ingredients for 6-8 appetizer-sized servings:

• 1 lb fairytale eggplants, trimmed and halved lengthwise, larger specimens cut into 1" cubes
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 medium Spanish onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup salt-packed capers, rinsed and drained, or thinly sliced caperberries
• 1 Tablespoon Cernigola or other meaty, mild olives, pitted and diced
• 1 cup loosely packed Italian parsley
• 1 cup loosely packed basil
• 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme
• 1/3 cup dried currants
• 2 Tablespoons dried hot pepper flakes
• 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder or about 6 discs of unsweetened or very dark (at least 75%) chocolate
• 16 oz fresh mozzarella, diced into 1" cubes
•  1 baguette or crusty Italian ciabatta, sliced thin, drizzled with olive oil, and broiled or grilled until lightly brown on both sides.
• coarse sea salt

Recipe:
Heat 1/4 to 1/3 cup of oil in heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add eggplant and season with a pinch or two of salt. Cook the eggplant, about 5 minutes, or until eggplant just begins to get soft but not brown. Set the eggplant aside in a bowl.
Add a little fresh oil to the pan, if necessary, and add in the celery and onion. Cook for 1-2 minutes, and then add in garlic. Season with salt and sweat, about 5 minutes, until translucent but not caramelized.
Add tomatoes to the pan and let them cook until the skins begin to burst. Pour in about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of wine and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Do not let boil. Once liquid has reduced by about 1/3, stir in 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup of vinegar. Bring back to a simmer and then add the eggplant back to the pan.
Sauté until eggplant is soft and the liquid has reduced significantly, 15-20 minutes. Turn the heat to medium or medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning: you may need more wine, more vinegar, or more salt.
Once the caponata has begun to resemble a stew, stir in the currants, capers or caperberries, olives, and hot pepper flakes. Stir in the chocolate. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cook a few more minutes, and then fold in the herbs. Fold in the cubed mozzarella cheese and let melt, then remove from the heat.
Serve the caponata on the bread. Top with a little fresh basil, parsley, or even mint, if desired.
Variations

• For larger eggplants, cube and then sprinkle heavily with salt. Let stand in a colander, about 15 minutes, then rinse and drain to remove bitterness.
• For larger tomatoes, core and dice. If tomatoes are watery, you might want to add a little tomato paste to the caponata. You may also want to use a little tomato paste if using canned or boxed diced tomatoes with their juice.
• Red wine and red wine vinegar work just as well as the white. If using sherry vinegar, either red or white wine will work.
• Halloumi is a wonderful substitute for the mozzarella. Slice the halloumi into 1/4" thick slices, lightly oil, and caramelize on a grill pan, about 3-4 minutes per side. Layer bruschetta with the toasted bread, then the halloumi, then the caponata.
• Burrata is also a wonderful substitute for the mozzarella. Spoon caponata onto toasted bread and top with a 1/2 teaspoon of the burrata while the caponata is still very hot.
• The entire dish can be made on the grill using a grill-proof pan, vegetable basket or tinfoil packets. If using foil packets, cook the eggplant separately from the tomatoes, and cook the celery, onion, and garlic together.