SYRIAN EGGPLANT STEW

I got this recipe years ago from a lady in the Ft. Worth, Texas area. It was an old family favorite her grandmother had made for her. It takes a full hour but the last half of the time is just simmering in the pot.

1 large eggplant
3 or 4 garlic cloves
1/3 cup olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 cans tomatoes
1 cup water
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp fresh parsley
1 tbsp capers, rinsed
1/3 cup Greek olives, pitted

Prepare this dish in a large, heavy Dutch oven.

Peel and crush garlic. Cut eggplant into cubes and lay out on a clean kitchen towel. Salt eggplant and let sit for 10 minutes. Heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven. Saute garlic in the medium-hot oil until it just starts to brown; remove from the pan. Add the eggplant to the pan and saute for 10 minutes. Add the onion and saute for another 10 minutes or until onion is getting soft. Add the tomatoes and water. And additional salt and pepper to taste. Simmer mixture for 30 minutes on low heat. Add the capers and olives. Add the parsley just before serving.

Note: Serve a hot crusty bread with this stew. Also, this stew is great as leftovers.

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