Ratatouille

Ratatouille has turned into one of our favorite vegetable meals. It's a great way to get some vegetables into your diet with lots of flavor. It's one of our favorite vegetarian meals in the summertime when the vegetables are at their peak of freshness. I got this recipe from the Joy of Cooking cookbook.


Ratatouille

Heat in a large skillet or Dutch oven over high heat:
1/4 cup olive oil
Add 1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), peeled and cubed and
1 pound zucchini, cubed ( I used yellow squash because that is what I had)
Cook 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove eggplant and zucchini to a plate and reduce heat to medium-high.
Add 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups sliced onions
Cook, stirring, until the onions are slightly softened.
Add:
2 large red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch squares (I only had green peppers) and
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
(I also added about a cup of sliced mushrooms at this point-just because!)
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender but not browned, 8 to 12 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add 1 1/2 cups peeled, chopped fresh tomatoes or one 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
and 2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme (these were in my garden!) or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme and
1 bay leaf.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the eggplant and zucchini and cook until everything is tender, about 20 minutes more. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Stir in: 1/4 cup chopped basil and sliced black olives, if desired. Doesn't it look pretty?
As you can see I also added mushrooms which gave the dish a "meatier" flavor. I was very surprised at how well my family loved this all vegetable dish.