Ratatouille

Long before being the title to (let's admit it) one of the awesomest Disney/Pixar productions of all time, Ratatouille was a delicious French dish.

Made with sun-gorged vegetables like eggplants, zucchini, bell peppers and tomatoes, it is traditionally served in the South of France or Provence. Not unlike curry, chili or lasagna, there are as many recipes for it as there are cooks.

My favorite way to have it is with buttery, creamy scrambled eggs or cold on a piece of sourdough toast. Delicious!

Here's my recipe.



INGREDIENTS (for 4 people as a side dish):
- 1 large eggplant
- 1 zucchini
- 1 bell pepper (any color)
- 1 bucket of cherry tomatoes (or 3 medium tomatoes)
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 onion
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 1/4 cup of olive oil, reserve 1 tbsp on the side
- salt and pepper to taste


RECIPE:
- dice the eggplant (about 1/2 inch), salt lightly to draw water out and pat dry with paper towels

- dice the zucchini, pepper, onion and garlic and halve the cherry tomatoes (if using medium tomatoes, cut in eight)

- in a hot pan over medium heat, fry the dried eggplant in the olive oil until golden and reserve in a bowl

- in the remaining tbsp of olive oil, fry the onion and garlic over medium heat until translucent and fragrant, then add the zucchini and pepper and fry for 2-3 minutes over medium heat

- add the cooked eggplants, tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf, cover and let simmer over low heat for 30 minutes

- after 30 minutes, uncover and let simmer for another 15-20 minutes over low heat, stirring often

- serve warm alongside eggs, fish or any meat (goes really well with chicken and pork), room temperature or cold, as a salad or on toast. Ratatouille is delicious any way you eat it!
- enjoy!!