ratatouille

Ratatouille (pronounced rat-ah-TOO-ee) sounds fancy because it's French, but is in fact nothing but a rustic stewed vegetable dish, originating in the Provence area of France.  In fact, the French word touiller means to toss food.  Typically containing tomatoes, eggplant (aubergine), zucchini (courgette), and bell peppers, it's a great way to use up those summer veggies from the garden.  As with most one-pot meals that are thrown together, exact proportions are not necessary or possible sometimes.  The following recipe is a just a base to start with.  Throw in what you have and season with spices to your taste (and pretend you're Remy the rat/chef from the movie if you wish).  I used oregano and parsley and some lavender salt I had on hand, and it turned out great.  There's not much you could do to mess this up.  Serve with chicken, fish, pasta, rice, or bread and/or sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese.  This should keep in the fridge in a covered dish for at least a week or two.


ratatouille

2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
8 cloves garlic, sliced
2 cans tomatoes, diced (or use fresh tomatoes!)
2 eggplants, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped or sliced
1 tbsp dried oregano and/or herbes de provence (thyme, basil, rosemary, lavender, fennel....)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Saute onions until golden, add garlic and saute a minute more.  Then add tomatoes, eggplant, green pepper and zucchini.  Season with salt, pepper and herbs.  Cover pot with a lid and bring to a boil, then reduce heat, simmer slowly and stir occasionally until vegetables are tender and flavors have had a chance to meld, about 30-45 minutes.

ratatouille served with grilled chicken