Cooler days are perfect for a dish of Ratatouille, dark crusty bread and a nice glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. I get asked for this receipe a lot so here goes. (Note: No rats were harmed in the making of this dish. sorry, I couldn't resist.)1 eggplant, peeled and cubed in 1”
2 medium to large zucchini, coined (or you can do one zucchini and one yellow squash)
1 large red (sweet) pepper (red is classic, but you can use a green one if that’s what you have)
2 very ripe tomatoes (or one can)
3 whole cloves garlic
1 clove garlic, minced
1 yellow onion
2 bay leafs
5 – 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
Salt/pepper to taste
Olive oil
In a large pot, sauté onion in 1 Tbs olive oil until brown. Add pepper and allow to soften. Stir in whole tomatoes, whole garlic, and bay leaf. Turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes. In a separate skillet, brown eggplant and zucchini until brown. Add to simmering pot with thyme and salt/pepper to taste. Simmer at least 25 minutes. Fish out the bay leaf and whole garlic.
Serve hot, add minced garlic on top of each service. Great with French bread, brown bread and red wine.
Enjoy!