Ratatouille
I swore I’d posted my favorite Ratatouille recipe, from the The New Moosewood Cookbook (2000), on here but I hadn’t. And here it is. When I’m on the road, I’ll know to find it here and never again hunger for Mediterranean vegetable stew. This one takes about 45 minutes to make and I find it hearty enough for a main dish—Moosewood bills it as an entrée. To make it even more filling, you could serve it with rice or noodles. I eat it straight up. It’s a great recipe for summertime vegetables.
Ratatouille
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 medium cloves garlic
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 medium eggplant (7 to 8 inches long; 4 to 5 inches in diameter), cubed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons basil
- 1 teaspoon marjoram or oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1 medium (6- to 7-inch) zucchini, cubed
- 2 medium bell peppers, in strips
- fresh black pepper
- 1 14.5-ounce can whole tomatoes
- freshly minced parsley (optional)
- minced olives (optional)
- Heat olive oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add garlic, onion and bay leaf. Sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
- Add eggplant, salt and herbs. Stir. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes or until the eggplant is soft.
- Add zucchini, bell peppers, black pepper and tomatoes. (Break the tomatoes into smaller pieces with a spoon.) Cover and simmer for about 10 more minutes or until the zucchini and bell peppers are tender.
- Serve hot, warm or at room temperature—plain or topped with parsley and/or olives.