Clotilde’s Oven-Roasted Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a perfect summer dish – you can eat it hot, room-temp or cold straight from the Tupperware as you stand in front of the fridge, contemplating other dinner options.  This simple vegetable stew originated in the South of France and is usually comprised of tomatoes, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, eggplant and herbs.  There are many different versions and methods of preparation. . . Traditionalists such as Julia Child insist on cooking each vegetable separately, but Clotilde of chocolateandzucchini.com advises otherwise.  Her interpretation of this classic French dish is as tasty as it is easy to prepare.  

Ratatouille can be served as a side or as the main event – served with bread, polenta, vegetarian meatballs, real meatballs or simply a fried egg.  Let the bright flavors take you away, as they did to the miserly restaurant critic in the film, Ratatouille.  Thanks Clotilde!

Oven-Roasted Ratatouille

(followed to the letter by moi -- she knows what she's doing!)

2 onions

2 cloves garlic

1 eggplant (if you want to make the traditional ratatouille from Nice, hold the eggplant)

1 zucchini

2 green peppers

8 small tomatoes

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

3 sprigs fresh thyme

olive oil

salt, pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Peel and slice the onion and garlic. Rinse the remaining vegetables, trim and slice them. Rinse the herbs. Combine everything in an oven-proof dish. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil (about two tablespoons). Toss a little more to ensure even coating.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. At this point the vegetables should be cooked but not colored, and there should be cooking juices at the bottom of the pan.

Remove the foil and bake for another 30 to 45 minutes, keeping an eye on the progress, until the cooking juices have evaporated and the vegetables have taken on a nice roasted aspect.

Remove the sprigs of herb, and serve immediately, or at room temperature, or cold. It gets even better the next day and the day after that.

--Recipe and instructions from chocolateandzucchini.com