Preparation

• 
  Wash the eggplant thoroughly with the skin on [or remove it if you prefer].

• Purging the eggplants to remove bitterness
  Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and remove the top end, then slice, julienne, and finally cut into cubes or small dice.
  Place the eggplant cubes or small dice in a colander, sprinkle plenty of coarse salt between the pieces, then place the colander over a deep plate to collect the draining water, cover the pieces with a deep plate and a weight [e.g., a cookie jar].
  Leave the eggplants to purge under salt for at least two hours.

  After at least two hours
  Rinse the eggplant pieces and squeeze them well with your hands.

• Transfer the well-squeezed eggplant pieces into a bowl and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, then mix so that it is evenly distributed.

  Air-fried diced eggplants
  ^{! if you don’t have an air fryer, you can bake them.}
  Follow the instructions [temperature and time] given in your appliance’s manual.
  Procedure with my Ariete air fryer – Friggi Sano [Eurospin]:
  • set the temperature to 392°F;
  • preheat for 5 minutes;
  • pour a drop of oil on a paper towel and grease the grill accessory;
  • remove the basket, place the grill accessory inside, and spread the diced eggplants on top in a single layer;
  • cook for 10 minutes;
  • remove the basket;
  • shake to detach the eggplant pieces from the bottom;
  • continue cooking, checking occasionally and shaking the basket until the desired crispness and golden color is achieved.
  Transfer the air-fried eggplants to a plate on parchment paper.
  Adjust salt if necessary.
  Grind pepper and add basil or mint leaves to taste.

  
• 

• Wash the peppers thoroughly.
  Cut off the apical part and empty the inside: remove seeds and white parts using a knife.
  Cut into strips or chunks of your desired size.

  Light gratinated peppers
  Line a baking tray* with parchment paper.
  ^{*wide, do not overlap the peppers.}
  Arrange the peppers on the baking tray, skin-side down and inside facing up to make the gratin stick, in a single layer avoiding overlap.
  Season with a pinch of salt and grind pepper.
  Distribute the grated cheese [caciocavallo or parmigiano].
  Sprinkle with whole wheat breadcrumbs.
  Grind some more pepper.

  

• Light baked gratinated peppers
  Briefly heat the oven.
  Bake at 356°F for 40 minutes in a fan oven.
  Remove the baking dish from the oven and drizzle the hot peppers with some raw oil, then mix to evenly distribute the gratin, soften, and flavor the peppers.

  

• Clean and wash the celery thoroughly.
  Cut the celery stalks into chunks.

• In a pan, pour:
  • 100 ml water;
  • 2.5 ml vinegar;
  • celery;
  • a pinch of salt;
  and simmer for about 5 minutes until the liquid evaporates.

• Add to the celery:
  • tomato sauce 100 ml or more;
  • air-fried diced eggplants;
  • light baked gratinated peppers;
  if desired add capers, olives, and almonds or pine nuts;
  and let simmer, mixing with a silicone spatula for a few minutes until the desired density is reached.

  Add a drizzle of raw oil and grind pepper.

• Plate.

  Your light vegetable caponata is ready.

  Enjoy your meal!

  

• To be enjoyed warm or cold.
  It will become even softer and more flavorful: the more you mix it, the more your light vegetable caponata becomes succulent.

  You can store it in the fridge, taking care to take it out about half an hour before consuming it so that it becomes soft and light again.

• • grilled vegetable caponata with toasted almond flakes.