Marinated Vegetables

This recipe reminds me of one of my favorite eateries in Italy. The Castelli Romani has this glorious form of fast food known as Porchetta stands. Porchetta itself is roasted pig, but the side dishes at these places are what I find myself dreaming of when the weather gets warm but not too warm for al fresco suppers on our patio. The stands always had those fist sized portions of mozzarella di bufala, fresh crusty bread, and a smorgasbord of delicious marinated vegetables: peppers, baby artichokes, eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, olives, you name it. Jon, I am sure you remember some great meals off paper plates from "Da Agnese"...after one such meal I actually found a strand of prosciutto hiding in the fat roll of Lili's (then 9 months old) neck. Anyway, sorry for the long intro, but this recipe for marinated eggplant from "The Silver Spoon" really reminds me of those veggies, (I add some white wine vinegar because I think it needs some acidity to be perfect. It is a great dish to make ahead and stick in your fridge because it just gets better after a couple of days. When I make it with eggplant, I serve it on top of a bed of arugula with some feta sprinkled on top and bruschetta toasts, which makes an easy and attractive party dish. I'm roasting some peppers and zucchini to marinate right now. The view from our back yard patio (dominated by our block wall fence and our neighbor's clunking roof-mounted AC unit) may not be as picturesque as Lake Albano, but I'm looking forward to the meal nonetheless...

Here's the recipe for the marinade...I think it works well with both roasted and grilled vegetables:

3/4C olive oil

1 fresh chile, seeded and chopped (I've used crushed red pepper too)

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon capers, rinsed and chopped

10 fresh mint leaves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

white wine vinegar, to taste