Garden Ratatouille

ratatouille

I did not grow up eating ratatouille, but it’s one of those dishes I’ve been making for as long as I’ve been raising my own veggies. It’s a great way to toss your garden into a cast iron pot and call it dinner. Once you’ve chopped all your ingredients, you’re pretty close to done. But, ahhh, that fresh produce and straight-from-the-earth aromatic herbs make this a meal to remember.

Makes 4-6 servings

Adapted from Moosewood Cookbook

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 medium cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups onion, diced
  • 2 cups eggplant, peeled and cubed
  • 1 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh basil
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh oregano
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme
  • 1 1/2 cups zucchini or other summer squash, diced
  • 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups tomatoes, diced
  • 3/4 cup minced olives, optional

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add garlic and onion. Sauté over medium heat until onion is soft.
  2. Add eggplant, salt and herbs. Stir. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes or until the eggplant is soft.
  3. Add squash, bell pepper, black pepper and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for about 10 more minutes.
  4. Serve hot. Top with olives if you like.