Sicilian Eggplant Spread with Crostini
Adapted from The Farm to Table Cookbook
6-8 servings

I gave this to my clients with the crostini but served it at my house with crackers. Either way it’s delicious.

Olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 tbsp. pine nuts
3 tbsp. dried currants or raisins
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 pound eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup tomato sauce
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 loaf rustic French bread, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Add the onion, pine nuts, currants, and oregano. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.

2. Reduce the heat to medium; add the garlic, eggplant, sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa. Cook, stirring frequently, until the eggplant begins to brown and bocomes soft around the edges, about 15 minutes. (DN: I felt the onion was in danger of burning after about 8 minutes so I proceeded with the next step at that point.)

3. Add the tomato sauce and vinegar, cover and simmer until the eggplant is very tender, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside for at least 1 hour to meld flavors.

4. Meanwhile, place the bread slices in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Lightly brush (or drizzle) them with oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Bake just until the bread is crisp and golden brown around the edges, about 15 minutes. Serve with eggplant mixture.