This vegetable medley is one of my favorite ways to prepare vegetables in the winter. Stewed until soft and sweet, each vegetable seems to melt into one another creating a deeply flavorful dish.
Try serving it over warm toasts, crackers or alongside a warm roast. The recipe is also adaptable, you can easily substitute or add in vegetables as desired.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. eggplant, cubed
- Olive oil
- 1 lb. zucchini, washed and sliced into ½ inch thick half moons
- 1 medium-sized yellow onion, thinly sliced
- ½ red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
- ½ green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
- 5 large cloves garlic, diced
- 5 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- ¾ t. salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400. Toss cubed eggplant with olive oil and a pinch of coarse salt. Arrange eggplant evenly on a jellyroll pan and bake for 30 minutes. Toss the cubes halfway through to ensure even roasting.
2. Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet warm 2 T. olive oil. Add zucchini and cook until gold brown and tender. Using a slotted spoon, remove zucchini and set aside. Do not remove the excess oil from the pan.
3. Add onion to Dutch oven and stir until softened – about 6 minutes – then add peppers and garlic. Stir occasionally until tender, but not browned. Add tomatoes, salt, thyme and bay leaf. Cook for 5 minutes on low. Add eggplant and zucchini, stir to incorporate and cook until all vegetables are very tender – about 20 minutes.
4. When all vegetables are soft and fragrant take a taste (don’t burn yourself!) and adjust seasonings if necessary. Discard bay leaf.
5. The finished Ratatouille can be served either warm or at room temperature. I like to eat it with bread and cheese for a midday meal.
