Melanzane Sott'Olio

• 2 medium-sized Italian eggplants, washed and dried
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 cups white wine vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 5-10 fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped or torn
• 3-5 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried chile flakes (Calabrian chiles if you can get your hands on them) or 4-6 whole dried chiles, sliced open
• 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic, very thinly sliced
• 2-3 cups very good quality extra virgin olive oil

1. Slice the eggplants into rounds not more than 1/4" thick. Toss them with the salt so that they are evenly covered, and place them in a colander. Place the colander on a bowl or plate, then place a sheet of wax paper over the eggplant. Set a few pounds of weight on top of the wax paper; bags of dried beans or sugar or a few big cans of tomatoes will work well.
2. Let the eggplant sit for a good 6 hours, or ideally overnight. Gently squeeze any remaining liquid from the eggplant. Discard the liquid that drained from the eggplant.
3. In a large, non-reactive saucepan, bring the vinegar and water to a boil. In 3 or 4 batches, add the eggplant to the mixture, bring it back to a boil, and let it cook for about 3 minutes.
4. Remove the eggplant slices to a platter lined with an absorbent dish towel or paper towels. Let them drain for about 5 minutes, turn them, then let them drain for another 5 minutes.
5. In a minimum 1-quart capacity jar or bowl, layer the eggplant with the herbs, chiles, and garlic. Top off the layers with enough olive oil to cover the eggplant completely.
6. Keep the eggplant refrigerated for up to a couple of weeks, but it won't last that long. Melanzane sott'olio is a perfect addition to an antipasti platter or picnic basket and makes for a great sandwich or crostino topping. I eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and all points in between.

italian eggplants, kosher salt, white wine vinegar, water, mint, oregano, chile flakes, garlic, very good

Taken from food52.com/recipes/7376-melanzane-sott-olio (may not work)