Ratatouille

Your bountiful summer garden comes together in this rich, flavorful vegetable stew.  For best results, strive for two things.  First, sauté the veggies separately to brown and caramelize, and not boil.  Secondly, wait until the next day to serve this dish - waiting overnight allows the flavors to meld and develop.  Delayed gratification at its best.  Finally, share.  This stuff makes friends!
1 large onion, diced
1 orange pepper, diced
2 long Italian peppers, chopped
1 red chili or jalapeño pepper

1 large (or 2 small) zucchini
1 large (or 2 small) yellow summer squash

3 cloves garlic, minced
Palmful sage leaves, about 2 dozen, sliced
1 Rounded Tbsp fresh rosemary
1 rounded Tbsp fresh thyme
1 rounded Tbsp fresh oregano

1 large (or 2 small) eggplant

2 large fresh ripe tomatoes, diced
1 cup dry white wine
1 tsp salt
freshly-ground black pepper

This is a batch process - cooking the veggies in individual batches assures they caramelize to develop full flavor. The tendency is to add all the ingredients together, but you will never get the browning, and your ratatouille will be flat at best.

In a large skillet or medium pot, sauté the onions and peppers in a bit of olive oil.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot, sauté the zucchini and yellow squash in a bit of olive oil. Make sure there is enough oil to brown the vegetables - the squash especially has a tendency to de-water, and boil, instead of brown.

So, watch the squash and keep the heat relatively high, stirring fairly often, but not too much to break down the squash. A large, wide skillet is probably the best for the squash.

Finally, in a third non-stick skillet, sauté the eggplant in a bit of olive oil, until the cubes brown up nicely, about 12-15 minutes.

When the onions have browned and are sweet, add the garlic, sage, rosemary, thyme and oregano. Cook another 3-5 minutes. Now combine the onion and squash in a single pot - use one that is at least 6-8 quarts. Keep on a low simmer.

Wipe down the second pot with a paper towel and add a few good tablespoons of olive oil and heat over high heat to shimmering.

Toss in the tomatoes and allow to sizzle and caramelize, stirring often. Cook about 10 minutes.

By now the eggplant should be browned.

Add to the onion mixture, along with the tomatoes. Add the wine, salt and pepper and stir well. Bring to a boil, and then stir and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook about 30 minutes, stirring every so often.

As with many stews, this dish is best refrigerated and reheated the next day. This allows the flavors to meld together.


Serves 6 as a side dish, or makes several pizzas, bruschettas, or great omelets!

Cook's Note:  Add a can of chickpeas for a great wholesome vegetarian meal.