Aubergine salad

This is one I clipped out from kochen, I Swiss cooking magazine I have a subscription to. I And I'd better write it down quickly because just when I had finished cooking, the Boyfriend opened the kitchen window and the wind carried my clipping away. Gone with the wind, so to speak.

Aubergine salad
(serves 4 as a side dish or starter)

• 2 medium-sized aubergines
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 small onion
• a small handfull of fresh oregano leaves
• a pinch of sugar
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts
  
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 12 green olives, pitted
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2-3 tablespoons good balsamic vinegar

Finely dice the aubergines. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil, add the aubergines and fry over medium heat until lightly browned and softened. Season lightly with salt and pepper. While the aubergines are browning, deseed and chop the tomatoes and rinse and chop the capers and olives. Finely chop the onion and the oregano leaves. Add the tomaotes, onions, sugar and pine nuts to the pan and fry for another two minutes. Add the capers, olives, oregano and balsamic vinegar and heat through briefly. Remove from the heat. Check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper to taste. Serve slightly warm or a room temperature.

I omitted the pine nuts because we'll have this apple torte later which contains almonds and wouldn't it be a culinary fauxpas to serve a starter with pine nuts and a cake with almonds after that? Yes, it would. I added a little chopped mint, though, because we have mint on our balcony and it is growing so beautifully, begging to be added to dishes.