Romanian Vegetable Spread

Delicious on crust bread or even as a topping on rice for a quickie vegetarian meal. It is also excellent as a sandwich spread. This recipe is for a large batch intended for canning. You can cut it back if you want a smaller batch for immediate consumption.

Description:
In Romanian: Zacusca

Ingredients:
•    10 young Eggplants,
•    15 peppers,
•    15 bell peppers,
•    8 lbs/4 kg tomatoes,
•    2 lbs/1 kg onions,
•    1 pint/500 ml oil,
•    salt

Directions:
1.    Roast the Eggplants, peppers, bell peppers, peel and drain.
2.    Remove the core and all seeds from the peppers and then julienne them.
3.    Chop the Eggplants.
4.    Saute the chopped onions in the oil until softened.
5.    Add the chopped Eggplants, julienned peppers and bell peppers, as well as the juice from 8 lbs/4 kg boiled and strained tomatoes.
6.    salt. Let fry, stirring continuously, until all the liquid is reduced.
7.    Fill the jars 3/4 full, tie with a double layer of cellophane and boil in the double boiler for 25  minutes timed from when the water first starts to bubble.
8.    Let the jars cool off in the water where they boiled, then keep in a cool and dry place.

by Ioana Ristea

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Traditional Recipes