I didn't grow up in a house with an alarm system. On the contrary, we left windows open all night, doors unlocked, and our friends didn't knock. But once you've had something stolen from you - like say, your wallet and social security card right out of your backpack your first week in a new city, followed by that person trying to assume your identity - you develop an irrational paranoia that someone is always trying to break into your house to rob you. I'm over here like, "Don't leave the eggplant and zucchini caponata on the counter or someone might swipe it!" (Someone, in this case, = cats, probably).
Shortly after we bought our first house, the neighborhood police department issued a reminder to hide valuables and included a laundry list of unacceptable hiding spots, "When hiding valuables in your home be creative, but avoid the following areas:
- Underneath your bed
- In drawers
- Bedroom closets
- In your freezer
- Behind something like books or dressers
- Cereal boxes or fake canisters i.e. cookie jar
- Safes (if they are not built into the wall)
- Medicine Cabinets
- Toilet (in water tank)
- Dirty Laundry"
First of all, these are all of my creative spots. And also this basically spells out every place to store something in my whole house, unless I were to rip open a teddy bear to hide my jewelry inside, which, frankly, I'm surprised didn't make the list. I think the PD just made me more paranoid - now I can't hide my stuff behind other things and suddenly I'm super stressed out about figuring out where to hide my shit (I don't even have anything to hide I don't think...what should I be hiding??).
So naturally, the first thing we did when we bought the house - before moving in a single box - was install a security system.
At around 4am Saturday night, we learned that the alarm - which, in full disclosure, we've inadvertently set off more times than I can count - has two stages: loud and loud AF. While Lucas leaped from bed to investigate, my first instinct was not, "OMG, someone's IN OUR HOUSE!" Instead I scrambled through the bedding to shield the baby's ears so she wouldn't wake up (#priorities). But, like before, Zoella wasn't in our bed, she was in her own crib. A crib that apparently has a sound-proof barrier, because she slept right through the blaring alarm.
And the intruder? Our 8lb cat who evidently has been honing his door opening skills while we sleep.
So here's this eggplant and zucchini caponata and it's tasty. Like sound the loud-AF-alarms tasty. This version comes together with roasted eggplant, zucchini, and garlic that are stewed with tomatoes, red onion, raisins, olives, capers, and vinegar, then tossed with fresh basil and toasted pine nuts.
Inspired by a birthday lunch at Healdsburg's Chalkboard last month, I will forever serve caponata with a heaping dollop of creamy burrata. This eggplant and zucchini caponata is all at once smoky, briny, mildly sweet, sour, nutty, & toasty and the pillow of extra creamy mozzarella melts it all together into umami heaven. Consume by the spoonful or scooped up with your favorite toasted sourdough.
Recipe
Eggplant and Zucchini Caponata with Burrata
Ingredients
- 1 globe eggplant, about 1¼ lbs, cut into ¼ to ½-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 medium or 2 small zucchini, about ¾lb, cut into ¼ to ½-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 3 unpeeled garlic cloves
- 1 small red onion, minced
- 5 early girl tomatoes, finely chopped
- ½ cup pitted green olives, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- 3 tablespoons golden raisins
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup chopped basil
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- 6 ounces burrata
INSTRUCTIONS
- Toss the eggplant cubes in 1 tablespoon of salt and let rest for at least an hour while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Rinse and drain well.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Spread the eggplant out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat (to help with clean-up) and toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Roast for 35-40 minutes, tossing halfway through, until beginning to turn golden brown.
- Spread the zucchini cubes out on a second small parchment-lined baking sheet and toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Leaving the garlic cloves unpeeled, place them on the baking sheet with the zucchini. Roast alongside the eggplant for 20-25 minutes, tossing halfway through, until zucchini begins to turn golden brown. Remove baking sheet from oven and set aside. Once cool, pop the roasted garlic out of its peel.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot like a dutch oven. Add the minced onion and sweat, stirring, for 10 minutes.
- Add the roasted eggplant, zucchini, garlic, tomatoes and juices, raisins, olives, capers, vinegars, sugar, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until it has reduced to a thick chunky stew, about 20-30 minutes. Taste, and adjust salt and sugar to taste (these will depend on your particular tomatoes!).
- Just before serving, toss with basil and pine nuts. Serve warm topped with a spoonful of burrata and, if desired, toasted sourdough.
- The caponata will keep for a couple weeks in the refrigerator and will taste even better on day 2 or 3 as the flavors meld. Reheat on the stove with a tablespoon or two of water to loosen it up.
Notes
Evangeline fisher -
Cooked first time everyone love it
kate -
Hahaha! What a cracker post! I can totally relate to everything - the hiding spots, the alarm and the cat! Love the recipe too, I have such a soft spot for Italian food.
Joyce @ Sun Diego Eats -
A) This sounds so tasty, I need to make more eggplant things.
B) My main takeaway from this was that oh god, our cat weights TWICE as much as your cat! TWICE!! Gahhh need to buy some diet cat treats.
Sarah Menanix -
Hahaha MOST cats weigh twice as much as our cats. This is what makes it so funny! I have no idea why they're so tiny, but maybe they listened when we told them to stay kittens forever:)
Thalia @ butter and brioche -
in a cereal box? haven't heard of that one before! and this caponata is definitely something i need right now, it looks sooo delicious. Xx
Sarah Menanix -
Haha - see! Cereal box would be a great hiding spot! Thanks!
Carla -
Well, now I'm coming to your house to steal all your burrata. Don't worry, the kitties will let me in.
Sarah Menanix -
Zoella can walk now - she'll let you in (jk, she's a baby)
todd wagner -
A couple home security notes:
- train cats to fight (sharpen claws) or at least bark.
- possible hiding spots for valuables = salad spinner, secret closet behind bookshelf, diaper bin.
- i have a machete next to my bed which fiona calls a knife.
Beautiful new use for burrata!! x
Sarah Menanix -
Hahahah did you get those hiding spots from Fiona? You forgot "toy train"...
Jessica -
This story is hysterical! I can't tell you how many devices starting going off randomly when I moved into my new house too -- new houses on hard the new ears! I wish I could say my cat was to blame but since he wasn't around at the time it was more likely faulty batteries or something I did -- I'll go with batteries. This recipe looks awesome and I want burrata NOW and on EVERYTHING FOREVER
xoxo
Sarah Menanix -
Haha - definitely the batteries;) And thank you!!
Matt -
Beautiful! And I'm with you, burrata by the spoonful all day
Sarah Menanix -
<3
Karen @ The Food Charlatan -
Dude that is the scariest list I've ever seen. I think the answer is ON YOUR PERSON. You need stash it ALL in your bra Sarah. PS Burrata foreverrrrrrr
Sarah Menanix -
(But what am I hiding?!)
Carrie @ Bakeaholic Mama -
Being stolen from is the WORST. We grew up in the country, we didn't lock anything. Heck we even used to leave our keys in the car, next to our wallet and purses.
When we moved to the city 3 years ago.... we had our cars broken into, and guess what.... Husband's wallet was in there with SS card, credits cards, and checkbook. They went on a shopping spree that night and charged 1000's and 1000's of dollars up at Best Buy, Target and Walmart.
Then, this spring.... someone stole all of my kid's easter basket supplies from my unlocked truck (my bad). It still makes me angry when I think of it!
I hate steeling, though if I saw this Caponata sitting out on a counter and no one was looking.... I'd totally steel it. It looks so darned good!
Sarah Menanix -
Oh my gosh!! That's so crazy - I can't believe thieves - they're so bad! I tried to change my SS# after it was stolen and they wouldn't let me unless I proved that they had actually "ruined my life" or something like that. Uggggh - so crazy that our whole lives are tied to that!
I'd give you a bowl of caponata so you wouldn't have to steal it;)
Traci | Vanilla And Bean -
Cat's are SO sly... we never know what they're up to in the middle of the night.. until they're caught red pawed. Now about this Caponata; I've never heard of it, but oh my the flavors, Sarah! Love!
Sarah Menanix -
Red pawed indeed! I can't imagine the trouble he'd get into in the night if he were an indoor/outdoor kitty! You definitely need to try caponata - it's so so so so good!
gerry @ foodness gracious -
Ha that cat! Gorgeous looking food as always!!
Sarah Menanix -
That cat indeed! Such a stinker!
Amanda @ Cookie Named Desire -
Oh man I am seriously paranoid about stuff. I was pitpocketed a couple of times when I was living in the city and now I never carry cash on me and I keep my cards well hidden with customer service numbers for each bank memorized. I don't really hide anything in the house anymore because I never remember where I put it. I am still missing something I hid over a year ago! But these caponata... oh my gosh, it's incredible!
Sarah Menanix -
Woah - I should do that! (Memorize the numbers). I'm so with you - I always forget where I've hid stuff. Like I hide it in JUST THE RIGHT SPOT and then of course that spot is not the right spot because where was it again??
Jordan Leigh -
Confession. I've never had caponata. Never even seen it! But after reading the ingredients I have no doubt I would LOVVVVEEE it. Question. Lactose intolerant over here. Suggestions on how to serve without burrata?
Sarah Menanix -
Ooo - if you ever come across it on a menu, I highly recommend ordering it! The burrata is just a little "icing" - the caponata is so good without it, served atop some toasted sourdough!
Melissa Howell -
Have you ever seen "The Rescuers?" They hide a large gem in a teddy bear. It didn't work out so well.
Melissa Howell -
Or maybe it did work out well. I can't remember. I just know a super scary lady in an inappropriately revealing red dress kept wanting to take the teddy bear away from Penny, and that was quite traumatic for her.
Sarah Menanix -
Haha if I did see it, it was so many years ago that I don't remember! Okay, so teddy bear is out! ;)
Marissa -
I love your priorities: cover the babies ears! And typical that she didn't wake up, thus the phrase, "sleep like a baby," right?
Caponata and burrata seem like they're MFEO - plus it's fun to say. Fun idea for party crostini too...
Sarah Menanix -
Ahh - that's where that comes from! Here I've been tip-toeing around the house at night. I really should just prepare her by setting off the alarm so she can sleep through anything! Ooo - I read "crostini party" and I was like "can I get an invite?!"
lauren @ climbing grier mountain -
We are still adjusting to your alarm system as well. I swear we set it off more times that I care to share. Ooops. If you are looking for hiding places, try placing objects inside a pillow case. People always look under the bed, but never in the actual pillow. Just a thought. Now, pass me this caponata!!
Sarah Menanix -
Ooo - That's a good idea! (Hey Robbers, PLEASE DON'T READ MY BLOG!!)
Veronica -
First your recipe looks so gorgeous! Second I want some now! Third I hear you " do not wake up the baby!" Finally you have an alarm system which is good most thieves want easy and if you make it hard for them to get in your home they will move on to easy. I worked with law enforcement windows should have locks not latches easy to do. Hard- ware stores sell Aluminum Window Slide Stop (2-Pack) $2.46. Door strike plate should have 2 to 3 inch screws to secure the door about $5.00. Motion detector lights in the darkest parts around your home that stay on for 10 minutes or more( length of time can be adjusted). Vegetation around your home should be trimmed so there are no hiding places for thieves. Hope this helps and thank you for the beautiful recipe!
Sarah Menanix -
:) Thanks Mama V.
Allyson -
This caponata looks delicious. And with burrata and sourdough it sounds downright dangerous. Swoon.
Sarah Menanix -
Thank you!! <3
Nicole - Cooking for Keeps -
Ahhh caponata + burrata = much love. And I hear ya in priorities! Baby sleep is > than anything.
Sarah Menanix -
Haha - absolutely. I will do almost anything to get her to sleep more/longer/better. Haha.
Aysegul -
I, too, have nothing to hide, but when I do I usually hide and forget where I put it. And believe me, with my luck, the intruder would find it before I do:))
I am so happy to hear that she slept through the alarm. She is so smart and already knows how to block unnecessary sounds/noises. Both literally and metaphorically..
This caponata reminds me of a dish my mom used to make, but I have never tried it with burrata. I can only imagine how yummy it must have been. So YUMMY, my friend. <3
Sarah Menanix -
Oh man - I do that ON THE REGULAR. I'll be searching all over the house saying, "I put this somewhere important so I'd remember where it was...but where was that?" ALSO, last time we went out of town, I hid some cash. And then I couldn't remember where I hid it when we got back for like a week! Haha.
Jennifer Farley -
Oh wow, I love all of these flavors together! Bookmarking this one!
Sarah Menanix -
Thank you! <3 It's such a good appetizer to munch on while binge watching the Olympics...
Alanna -
This caponata is tasty AF! I want it NOW.
Sarah Menanix -
Me too, girlfriend, me too.