This hearty Mediterranean ratatouille, or vegetable stew, is a wonderful dish made with garlic, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and peppers. It’s a great recipe to feature your homegrown or seasonal vegetables from the farmers’ market.  This is a delicious recipe alone or with pasta and a side salad. 

Preparation Time: 45 minutes (if using canned tomatoes)

Yield: 4 – 6 Servings

Ingredients:
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • Four medium cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 2 cups onion, chopped
  • One bay leaf
  • One medium eggplant, cubed
  • 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried basil or 3 tbsp fresh basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano or 2 tsp fresh oregano
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary or 1 tsp fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1 tsp fresh thyme
  • One medium zucchini, cubed
  • Two medium bell peppers, chopped.
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • Five medium-large tomatoes (blanched & skin removed; see note) or 1 14 1/2 oz canned
  • tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped 
  • 2 tbsp capers or minced olives
  • 1/4 – 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper seeds
  • Fresh parmesan cheese
Butternut Squash

Instructions:

  1. In a dutch oven or 8-quart saucepan, add olive oil. Add garlic, onion, and bay leaf.

  2. Sauté for about 5 minutes over medium heat.

  3. Add eggplant, salt, and herbs and stir. Cover and cook over medium heat, occasionally stirring about 15 to 20 minutes or until the eggplant is soft.

  4. Add zucchini, bell peppers, black pepper, and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes or until the zucchini and bell peppers are tender.

  5. Stir in capers, crushed red pepper seeds, and parsley.

  6. Serve hot over linguine (or other pasta, couscous, or quinoa) with a sprinkle of fresh parmesan cheese.

To blanch tomatoes:

In a 6-quart saucepan, fill up to 2/3 with water. Bring water to a boil. Rinse tomatoes and mark an x on the bottom with a sharp paring knife. Add tomatoes to boiling water. While cooking, fill a large bowl with ice water to cool off tomatoes once blanched. In about 3 -4 minutes, the skin on the tomatoes will begin to separate from the fruit. This signals that it is time to remove. tomatoes from the water and quickly put them into the cold water to stop the cooking process. Peel the skin from the tomatoes. Chop and add to the stew.




  
Chef Yvonne Dwyer

Recipe compliments of OPL Naturalist and Home Chef Yvonne Dwyer

OPL Plant-rich Recipes

Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Find more delicious OPL-recommended plant-rich recipes here.