Sicilian Party Platter with Italian Vinegars

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As a child, one thing that was always important to my family was dinnertime together. We would sit around our kitchen table, eat a meal usually prepared by my mother, and tell stories of our day. My husband and I honor this tradition in our home as well, preparing healthy, from-scratch meals for our children daily. My favorite dinners are served family-style, with a beautiful platter of food placed in the middle of the table, with a variety of condiments, including Italian vinegars. My children, husband, and I all dig in, and sometimes we even remember to use plates and utensils… but not always.

To create a Sicilian Party Platter, I include any combination of the following:

A variety of cheeses (learn more about how I build a Cheese Plate)
A variety of meats, the above is salami, but you can also include sopressata,
Fresh fruit such as apples or grapes
Accompaniments like olives, seasoned nuts, and pickled vegetables
Dips or spreads like honey, tapenade, and caponata

Pause for a moment. Few things in this world are more naturally beautiful than fresh produce. Reds purples, yellows, greens. My cooking celebrates the beauty of seasonal ingredients, as that is when they are the freshest and most delicious.

Caponata is a delicious Sicilian spread made with eggplant and other vegetables, seasonings, oil, and vinegar. It’s cooked for about an hour, and it can be served hot or cold. It’s great as a topping for pasta, chicken, and bruschetta. All you need to make caponata are the vegetables above and ingredients below. You may also want to try to the De Nigris Balsamic Vinegar for a sweeter flavor.

Nutritionists recommend you eat the rainbow. This way you know you are getting a variety of nutrients in your diet. This caponata recipe contains the beautiful rainbow of fresh ingredients below.

Caponata makes a great appetizer, served on toasted breads. I like to coat the bread in a little olive oil and grill them to make them nice and crisp. This makes a wonderful dish when entertaining a crowd.

Caponata Crostini

Recipe Type: appetizer

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 10 mins

1-pound eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 small red onion, cubed 1 medium red pepper, cubed 2 medium tomatoes, chopped 4 large garlic cloves, chopped 1/4 cup De Nigris seasoned vinegar (original) 1/4 cup olive oil 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil 1/4 cup green olives 1/3 cup golden raisins 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning salt & pepper to taste 1 baguette

Ingredients

1-pound eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 small red onion, cubed
1 medium red pepper, cubed
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup De Nigris seasoned vinegar (original)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup green olives
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large pot over a medium-low heat, add all of the ingredients (except the baguette). Simmer covered for about an hour, stirring occasional to make sure the ingredients combine well.
After an hour, the mixture should be very soft. Fork mash briefly to achieve a chunky but spreadable texture.
Slice the baguette and toast to make the crostini.

De Nigris Seasoned White Wine Vinegars are available at Walmart down the condiment aisle near the ketchup. De Nigris is a third generation company, with all seasoned white wine vinegars and balsamic vinegar made in Italy from natural ingredients.

And now, you can enter to win an amazing De Nigris basket, valued at $400! The basket includes: