Keith has fond memories of his great Uncle Leo stirring a cauldron of mouligiane in his backyard every Thanksgiving. All the guests would take a jar home as a Christmas gift. It's now a staple of our Christmas kitchen, and we give jars to teachers, friends, coaches, and neighbors. This recipe makes about 10-12 pint jars full, though you can also make it in half-pint jars, depending on how garlicky you like your friends.

Ingredients:

8 to 10 large eggplants

3 large cans of mushrooms, chopped

3-4 large cans of roasted sweet red peppers, chopped

3/4 to 1 quart extra virgin olive oil

4 T red wine vinegar

4 T chopped garlic (at least)

salt and pepper

red pepper flakes

dried basil, parsley, oregano, and mint

Process:

Creating this flavorful spread is very much a matter of subjective taste and trial and error, so the ingredient quantities are not precise.

Boil water and 2 T of red wine vinegar in a large stockpot. Peel the eggplants and cook them in the boiling water for 7-10 minutes (until a knife slips easily into the eggplant, but before the eggplant is mushy). Drain the eggplants, and squeeze them in a colander to remove liquid.

Chop the cooked eggplant coarsely into cubes about 1 inch square and return them to the dry stockpot. Add mushrooms, red peppers, and the olive oil. Stir, then add chopped garlic, sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of red wine vinegar over the mixture along with salt and pepper and red pepper flakes, and stir well to distribute the ingredients.

Begin adding herbs gradually about a teaspoon at a time. Mix and taste frequently, adjusting salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and herbs. Moulingiane should be very garlicky, intensely flavored, and a bit spicy. Let it sit for one hour, mix and taste again, adjusting for garlic and seasonings. Store in jars in the refrigerator, where it should last at least a month.

Allow the moulingiane to warm to room temperature before serving. Spread it thickly on crusty bread and enjoy!