Ratatouille

Vegetable Medley

It is summer again and I have several varieties of tomatoes growing in the garden. 

I strolled in my garden early this morning and picked some eggplants, tomatoes along with some basil, oregano and kangkong (swamp spinach) and decided to make Ratatouille.  Traditionally, Ratatouille does not have Kangkong but I have some so I’ll use them and see how it turns out. 

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, diced or minced
• ½ head garlic, crushed or minced
• A few Japanese eggplants cut up 1 in. thick then cut in halves (about 5 cups)
• A few tomatoes cut in pieces (about 2 cups or more). I used most of the small tomatoes.
• Fresh basil chopped
• 2 TBS fresh oregano leaves or 1 tsp. dried
• Zucchini, cubed like the eggplants (about 2 cups) or 1 pkg. frozen
• 1 Bell pepper diced
• Red bell pepper sliced lengthwise
• 1 bay leaf
• Any yellow squash cubed 1 in. (optional). I used Chinese pumpkin
• 1/2 bunch Kangkong (optional).  Separate the leaves from the stems then snap the stems 2 inches long.
• Salt
• Olive oil
• 1 jalapeno pepper sliced (optional)

Heat about ¼ cup Olive oil in a large Dutch oven.  Add the onion and sauté until transparent then add the crushed garlic and sauté together until onions are soft.

Add tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes stirring occasionally then pressing to expel the juice.  Add basil and oregano and bay leaf, cover and simmer for a couple of minutes.  Remove the bay leaf then add the vegetables.  Simmer covered and stir or fold occasionally to cook evenly.  Add about 1 tsp. salt or to taste.

I cooked the above ratatouille from my homegrown vegetables on a different year. This time I had some okra that I included with it, but in the absence of zucchini and squash. The okra was surprisingly good in it and it will be a regular from now on whenever I have them.