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S+M Vegan’s Grandma LaForte’s Caponata recipe

The number of full-fledged vegans in the U.S. has remained relatively unchanged in recent years at 2 to 3 percent of the population. But the number of people adding plant-based meals to their weekly diet has spiked and the owners of Oakland-based S+M Vegan, Marie Chia and Shane Stanbridge, have noticed the shift. The pair frequently hosts pop-ups in bars and recently did a take-over of Berkeley’s Butcher’s Son restaurant during the holidays.

One of their popular dishes is Stanbridge’s grandmother’s caponata, a naturally vegan recipe he says has been in his family for more than a century. The slightly sweet and tangy mixture of vegetables, vinegar and a little sugar is common in Southern Italy. Stanbridge and Chia make a meal of it, serving it with homemade Italian bread, over polenta, tossed with pasta or as a crostini topping or sandwich filling.

Blanching the eggplant first prevents them from becoming a shapeless, oily, soggy mess by the time they’re done frying. (The blanching water calls for a lot of salt but don’t worry, it gets discarded.)

Depending on your tastes, make it sweeter by adding raisins and balsamic vinegar, or spicy by adding more chile flakes, or juicier with more tomatoes. You get the picture. Make it your own.

Grandma LaForte’s Caponata

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

10 cups water

1 cup, plus ¼ cup white wine vinegar, divided

½ cup, plus 2 teaspoons salt, divided

2 medium globe eggplants, unpeeled, cut into ¾ to 1-inch dice

½ cup plus ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon fennel seed

2 teaspoons dried oregano

10 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

10 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of a knife and roughly chopped

1 medium onion, cut into ¾ to 1-inch dice

4 small celery stalks, sliced into ½-inch thick

1 small red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice

3 fresh or canned Roma tomatoes, cut into ¾ to 1-inch dice

2 tablespoons sugar

½ cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup pitted green olives, such as Castelvetrano, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons capers in brine, drained

1 cup loosely packed parsley, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. In a large pot, bring the water, 1 cup vinegar and ½ cup salt to a boil. Add eggplant and cook for 3 minutes; strain and set aside.
2. In a wide skillet, heat ½ cup olive oil over medium heat. Add eggplant and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning, until about half the eggplant has browned.
3. Use a spoon to move the eggplant to the sides of the skillet. In the center of the skillet, add the crushed red pepper, fennel seed, oregano, thyme and bay leaf. Stir fry until fragrant.
4. Add garlic and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are slightly translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add celery and bell pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and sugar; continue cooking for 3 minutes more or until tomatoes have started to soften.
5. Add white wine to deglaze the pan. Cook for about a minute to let the alcohol evaporate, then add remaining ¼ cup vinegar, tomato paste, olives and capers. Gently stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Remove from heat and let cool.
6. Fold in parsley and remaining ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil.

— Recipe courtesy of Shane Stanbridge and Marie Chia, S+M Vegan, Oakland