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