GRAMMA ANTHONY’S PICKLED EGGPLANT

SERVES 6

RECIPES TAKE YOU ON A WALK through someone’s life. There was always a crock of pickled eggplant on my grandmother’s counter and my grandfather would eat it with everything, though his summer favorite was a sandwich, especially on fishing days on Lake Ontario. Like most Italian cooking, it was made with what they had: tons of eggplants and peppers and onions grown in their garden. Pickling meant extending their lifespan. I like pickled eggplant with roasted meats and fish, even with eggs or between two slices of Italian bread, like my grandfather used to do.

1 large eggplant, cut lengthwise into thick slices

¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

3 cloves garlic

Few sprigs oregano

Pinch fresh thyme leaves

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 bell peppers, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced

1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced

Put the eggplant in a baking dish and sprinkle the ¼ cup salt over both sides. Set a slightly smaller dish on top of the eggplant inside the baking dish, weight it down with heavy cans, then let sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes. Weighting down the eggplant is really important to drive the water out so the seasonings can get in. Rinse the salt off the eggplant slices and squeeze out any excess liquid (do not be afraid to squeeze them hard), then firmly press them in paper towels to remove the last bit of liquid. Lay the slices in a baking dish. Combine the vinegar, sugar, remaining teaspoon salt, garlic, oregano, and thyme in a small saucepan and simmer until the sugar and salt are dissolved.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and onions and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Spoon them over the eggplant, then drizzle with the remaining tablespoon oil. Pour the vinegar mixture evenly over the vegetables and let cool. Cover and refrigerate for at least a day. The vegetables will keep, refrigerated, for about a week.