Ratatouille

Inspired by a few online fabulous cooks at Sleek Geek SA, I cooked a really decadent mix of summer vegetables originating from the French in the form of Ratatouille (Rat-a- tooey), adapted from an online Food Network recipe, which is captured in the Disney movie of the same time, the dish that Remy prepares in the movie is a modern take on ratatouille, a one-pot wonder as opposed to the  traditional French way of cooking each item on it's own without allowing a mixture of the flavours, through cooking it together.

Very importantly, cooking ratatouille needs time. Time for the garlic, onions and red pepper to caramelize, making them sweet and developing the lip-smacking taste that seasons the rest of this dish. Time for the thick-cut vegetables to soften, and of course time to coax the essence from each ingredient, allowing them to mingle and reduce before being reabsorbed by the courgettes and brinjal. 

I so can see this dish becoming an obsession....my love for tomatoes and brinjal will definitely see me making this over and over again, perhaps with more fresh herbs for flavour.

 

Ingredients

 

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

5 large cloves garlic  roughly chopped

1 large onion, sliced

1 large red pepper, seeded and sliced

6 medium tomatoes , cut into 8 pieces (I used medium sized vine tomatoes)

2 large brinjals cut into thick chunks

 2 large courgettes cut into thickish rounds

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley roughly chopped

1/4  cup basil roughly chopped

6-8 sprigs thyme  ( I used dry thyme)

2 teaspoons salt and pepper to taste 

**Optional** Olives

Here's How

• Add the olive oil and garlic to a large heavy based pot, and sauté over medium heat until the garlic starts to brown and becomes very fragrant

 

• Turn down the stove heat to low and then add the onions and red peppers. Cover the pot with a lid and let the onions wilt, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Remove the lid and sauté the onions and peppers until all the water released has evaporated and the onions start to brown.

• Add the tomatoes, cover the pot with the lid, and simmer until the tomatoes are soft and have released a lot of liquid.

•  Add the brinjal, courgettes, parsley, basil, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and then cover with a lid and allow the vegetables to cook until tender (30-40 minutes), stirring occasionally

 

• When the vegetables are soft, remove the pot lid and let the ratatouille continue to simmer until the excess liquid has evaporated and the mix is nice and thick. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste and serve as a main meal or side dish.