Gillum House Caviar
1 large eggplant
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
½ green pepper, chopped
2 Tablespoons EACH olive oil and butter or margarine
1 large tomato, peeled and chopped
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoons catsup
½ teaspoon Worcestershire
¼ teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
Dill weed, chopped chives, or chopped parsley for garnish
Black olives for garnish
Cut a large eggplant in half and place cut side down in a shallow, greased baking pan with 1/4 cup water and bake in a 400F oven until soft - about 20 minutes. Remove and cool slightly. Scoop out the pulp and coarsely chop. In a frying pan, sauté the onion and green pepper in the olive oil and butter until the vegetables are tender but not browned. Add the chopped eggplant, tomato, lemon juice, catsup, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Cook over high heat, stirring until liquid is cooked away. Cool.
Spoon into a shallow serving dish. Sprinkle with the herb garnish of choice, and then garnish with several black olives. Chill before serving. Serve surrounded by your favorite crackers or toasted bread rounds. Makes about 4 servings.
Tip: If you have a food processor, mince the onion and green pepper in the processor. I also used the food processor to chop the tomato and then to puree the eggplant.