Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a stewed vegetable dish from Provence and mainly thought to be from Nice which is why it is sometimes referred to as ratatouille niçoise. There are dozens of different recipes and I know that a lot of the ‘purists’ opt for cooking each vegetable separately first and then combining them but I love just flinging it all together as a one pot wonder ! Still tastes lovely !

Ingredients :

• Olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 aubergine
• 3 or 4 courgettes
• 5 or 6 tomatoes
• 1 red pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 green pepper
• Garlic
• Salt and pepper
• 1 laurel leaf
• Thyme

Method :

1. Wash and chop all your vegetables
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pan
3. Fry the onions until soft and then add the peppers and continue frying for another 2-3 minutes
4. Add the chopped aubergine, followed by the courgettes
5. Peel the tomatoes (use a sharp knife to slice a shallow X on the bottom of the tomato and then place in boiling water for 30 seconds before transferring to a bowl of ice-cold water)
6. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan along with the crushed garlic
7. Add salt, pepper, thyme and a laurel leaf, lower to a low to medium heat and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes
8. Taste and adjust the seasoning

Ratatouille is delicious served with all sorts of meat and fish or with an omelette. It can be eaten hot or cold and tastes even better the next day. It’s a great way to pack lots of veggies into your meal!