Ratatouille

My favorite stew to make from my garden vegetables.  Have you tried this.  You will love it.  Eggplant, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, garlic and herbs.  I had to wait for my eggplant to catch up with everything else.  This dish can be served hot, cold or at room temperature.  I have had it as a side dish, as a main dish and even as an appetizer.

You may have heard of the word ratatouille.  It is a movie, a video game and this great dish from France, I believe Provence.  Although I never got to Provence I did manage to squeak in Paris once on a trip to Spain. 

Summer seems to be rapidly coming to an end so this is a good dish to bring all these vegetables together.  It is one of those recipes you can just experiment with.  Add more or less of what you like.  You can't really mess it up.  Use this recipe as a guide then adjust how you like it.  I don't even measure anymore but that is a good place to start.

Ratatouille one of those free spirit gypsy style dishes we love.

Ratatouille

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more if you need it
1 1/2 cups diced onion, I used red this time
1 clove garlic diced
2 cups eggplant, diced with skin on
2 cups diced bell pepper any color
2 cups zucchini diced
2 cups tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp fresh basil chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped
1/2 Tbsp fresh thyme
Salt and Pepper

Use a large pot over medium heat and add olive oil.  Add onions and garlic and cook until wilted about 5 minutes.  Add eggplant, cook 5 more minutes.  Add bell pepper, cook 5 more minutes.  Add zucchini, cook 5 more minutes.  Add tomatoes, herbs and salt and pepper.  Cook 5 more minutes.  Put cover on, reduce heat to simmer and cook 15 more minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

So explore ratatouille.  The movie, the video game and the dish it's all fun.