Recipe Review: Ratatouille

Summer is in full swing and with it comes fantastic fresh local produce.  Lately there has been abundance of eggplant, zucchini, garlic and tomatoes at the farmer’s market, and I am sure the onions are coming.  What better dish to use all of these together than Ratatouille?  There are tons of different recipes out there, but this one (thank you, MaryCatharine!) is my favourite:

Ratatouille

3 tbsp olive oil

2 red onions, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 eggplant, chopped

3 zucchinis, chopped

2 28oz cans of diced tomatoes, or 8 roma tomatoes blanched, peeled and chopped

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 tbsp herbs de Provence

1/2 c chicken or vegetable stock

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic, and sauté until transparent, about 10-15 minutes.

Add the eggplant and zucchini, and cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the tomatoes, cook for another 10 minutes.  Add the stock, salt, pepper and herbs and stir.

Cover and simmer on low heat for at least an hour, or longer if you prefer, to allow the flavours to blend.

The wonderful thing about this recipe is that it doesn’t have to be exact.  Got 2 eggplants and 4 zucchini?  Great, throw them in!  I don’t think you can mess it up.  The only thing I wondered about when I got the recipe were the herbs de Provence – it turns out you can buy the complete blend in one bottle in the spice aisle.

This is a very versatile dish – you can serve as a side dish with a well-balanced meal, over pasta or rice, or as a main course with some of your favourite fresh bread from the market!  Not only that, you can freeze it in airtight containers for up to 6 months – a great way to continue to enjoy your local produce during the off season.