Ratatouille

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine
Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen
Makes 3 quarts

Okay, so there's chopping involved, but it will be worth it!! This is quite good. And, it can be used as is or on pasta or spooned over toasted crusty bread. The first thing I did with it was to make Ratatouille and Baked Eggs (Recipe on this blog) Deeeeelish!! Then, I cooked up some whole wheat pasta and topped it with ratatouille and a bit of goat cheese for a very filling lunch. (See photo.) I'm planning to make up another big batch of ratatouille and freeze it for when we have guests for breakfast.


1 (28 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes
6 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large eggplant (1 pound) cut into 1 inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 large yellow oinons ( 1 pound total) cut into large dice
1 head garlic, cloves smashed and peeled
2 bell peppers (any color) seeded and cut into large dice
2 large zucchini ( 1 pound total) cut into large dice
1 bay leaf
1 Tablespoons fresh marjoram or oregano leaves ( I used 1/2 Tablespoon of dried.)
3 Tablespoons red-wine vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Place tomatoes and juices on a rimmed baking sheets and use your hands to break tomatoes into smaller pieces. (Wear an apron!!) Drizzle with 2 Tablespoons oil and bake until a thickened, about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. (It won't get very thick. It's okay.)



2. Meanwhile, in a colander, toss eggplant with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Let set for 20 minutes, then rinse and press out excess liquid. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 4 Tablespoons oil over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 5 minutes. Add peppers and cook until they are crisp-tender, about 4 mintues. Season to taste with salt and pepper.



3. Add tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, bay leaf and herbs to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and cook at a gentle simmer until vegetables are tender, but not mushy, about 15 minutes. Add the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
   

Nutritional Info per 3/4 cup: 85 calories; 5.5 grams fat (0.8 grams sat. fat); 1.6 grams protein; 8.3 grams carbs; 2.5 grams fiber