Salsa with Eggplant

1/3  cup olive oil

3  cups chopped onion

1 1/2 cups chopped green pepper

1  cup chopped celery

2  large eggplants

1  8 oz. can tomato sauce

1  6 oz. can tomato paste

1/2  cup water

5  cloves garlic, minced

1  6 oz. can black olives, chopped

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

3 Tbl. sugar

1 1/2  tsp. oregano

1  Tbl. salt

1  tsp. cayenne

1  tsp. pepper

Peel eggplant and cut in 1-inch cubes and soak in salt water for 20 minutes. 

Drain well. 

Meanwhile, saute onion, green peppers and celery in olive oil until limp. 

Cover eggplant and cook 40 minutes. 

Add tomato sauce, tomato paste and water. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients and cook additional 10 minutes.

Chill.

Serve with small rounds of Italian bread or tortilla chips.

Keeps for 2 weeks in refrigerator.

Makes 2 quarts.

Enjoy this as you dream about planting your vegetable garden. 

Grow everything yourself except the olives!

Spring...do you feel it?

We have had some tolerable but I won’t say warm days in February this year. Yet, somehow I can feel Spring tapping me on the shoulder. I quickly turn around but...no one’s there. February is mostly ready to turn itself over to March, that mean month. Sure we’ll have to shovel some more snow before we sip those margaritas, but I felt Spring’s presence and that gives me hope.

Time to chop up some salsa and get ready.