ANTIPASTO SALAD PLATTER

DRESSING:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf (continental) parsley
1 tablespoon capers, finely chopped
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
freshly ground pepper

VEGETABLES:
2 pounds eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
salt
2 red bell peppers
1 yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
olive oil, for frying
13 ounces plum tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
10 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese (bocconcini), sliced

FOR DRESSING:
Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together thoroughly.

FOR VEGETABLES:
Place the eggplant slices in a colander. Lightly sprinkle with salt and set aside for 30 minutes.

Halve the bell peppers and remove the seeds and membrane. Place the bell pepper halves under a heated broiler (or on a grill) and cook until the skins are blackened. Place the halves in a plastic bag and let cool. When they are cold enough to handle, peel off their skins and slice thinly. Set aside.

Rinse the eggplant slices and drain on kitchen paper. Dust the slices lightly with flour. Heat sufficient oil in a large frying pan to fry the eggplant slices in batches. Cook all of the slices until golden on both sides. As each slice is cooked, dip it in the prepared dressing and arrange around the serving platter.

Cook the tomato slices for a few seconds on each side in the same pan as the eggplant.

Place the tomato slices on top of the eggplant. Top the tomato with the cheese slices. Spoon a little dressing over each mozzarella slice. Arrange the pepper slices in the center of the serving platter. Spoon on the remaining dressing. Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.

Servings: 6-8