I grew up eating a lot of eggplant caviar in Russia though the vast majority of it was canned and not freshly made. I was happy that this recipe did not use red peppers because I think they can be a little overwhelming, and in this case the eggplant flavor really came through.
I picked up some produce at the market:
I roasted the garlic as well – love the depth of flavor – and used kumato tomatoes (those are the greenish, tiger stripe ones) because they are very sweet and easy to peel.
What really made this dish for me was the garlic, pimento, and fresh herbs. Though prepping all those herbs reminded me of days at the restaurant when I would be in herb picking duty – an important, but mind-numbing task.
Overall, I’m a fan of this recipe – it made a great supper club appetizer and was fresh and flavorful, not oily like some other varieties.
Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide says
Looks wonderful and I didn’t realize you grew up in Russia. The things we learn about our fellow bloggers.
saffronandhoney says
Thanks! And yeah, the extra info just slips in there from time to time, but I love finding out more about everyone too!
yummychunklet says
Looks fantastic! I’ll have to try it with the green tiger-striped tomatoes!
saffronandhoney says
Thank you! And I love those tomatoes, they are fantastic and not too fleshy so good for dicing 🙂
Maya says
Your caviar looks so yummy! I like learning all the other things about you, so thanks for sharing.
saffronandhoney says
Thanks, Maya :).
Cher says
I am sure this was a nice light appetizer.
Pretty pictures.
saffronandhoney says
Thank you, Cher!
betsy says
I enjoyed this one too, because of it’s fresh taste (It certainly wasn’t all that pretty).
saffronandhoney says
yes, the taste is nicer than the look, though all the herbs brightened it up nicely!
Teresa says
I really enjoyed this too, but wish I’d roasted the garlic – next time.
saffronandhoney says
I think it definitely deepened the flavor. Happy to hear you enjoyed it, Teresa!
Elin says
Yours look tasty! It is healthy and I made some sopes to go with it. Thumbs up!
saffronandhoney says
Sipes sound great! We had it with pita chips:)
tricia s. says
I got through this one in a rush and think my ratios were off. Love your idea of roasting the garlic- I think I need to cook the onion next time since it was so strong. Nana was not a fan but she got my screwed up edition, so I will share when I make it again 🙂
saffronandhoney says
Sorry it didn’t work out, Tricia! Maybe try cooking the onion or using a shallot or something a bit milder next time? I split up my Spanish onion between two batches, to be honest, as to not be too overwhelming.
Tasty Mayhem says
I feel the same way about canned caponatta. so much better tasting made fresh, as was this eggplant. Love your blog format!
saffronandhoney says
Definitely! And thank you :).