Caponata Toast with Labneh and Pecorino by Tanerxaydin

Ingredients

• 350 g baby eggplants
• 200 g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 120 g celery, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 500 g canned chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 100 g kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• 30 g capers, drained
• 1.5 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1.5 tsp honey
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes, plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 4 slices sourdough bread
• 1/2 cup labneh (or cream cheese)
• 30 g toasted pine nuts
• 30 g (1 oz) pecorino cheese, grated

Instructions

1. Prepare the vegetables: Dice the onion, red bell pepper, and celery. Mince the garlic. Cube the baby eggplants into 1-inch pieces. Halve the cherry tomatoes.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add the cubed eggplant and sauté for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned. Remove the eggplant from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion, bell pepper, and celery. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Stir in the canned chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, and halved cherry tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
5. Return the cooked eggplant to the pan. Add the Kalamata olives, capers, white wine vinegar, honey, salt, black pepper, and chili flakes. Stir well to combine.
6. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender and the sauce has thickened. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
7. Remove the caponata from the heat and let it cool slightly. Stir in the chopped fresh basil leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
8. While the caponata cools, toast the sourdough bread slices until golden brown and crisp.
9. To assemble, spread a generous layer of Labneh (or cream cheese) on each slice of toasted sourdough. Spoon a portion of the warm caponata over the Labneh. Sprinkle with grated Pecorino cheese and toasted pine nuts before serving.