Summer Vegetable Ratatouille

With all of my farm loot, I needed to find a relatively simple way to combine lots of vegetables into one dish this week.  I thought about making a soup... but I don't find soup to be filling enough to keep me satiated throughout the day or evening.  I thought about roasting a batch of vegetables... but eggplant and tomatoes don't roast as well when combined with other veggies.

Then I remembered two things: one, my mom made a really great ratatouille that she froze in batches and brought to me in Maine, and two, I had bookmarked a summer ratatouille recipe sometime this summer and had yet to try it out.

My ratatouille was born.

Summer Vegetable Ratatouille
adapted from Oh She Glows

• 1 T olive oil
• One red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 large eggplant
• 1 large zucchini
• 2 bell peppers, any color
• 3 large tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 T Bragg Organic Sprinkle (or Herbamere or Mrs. Dash)
• Pinch of salt

Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or pot and add garlic and onion.  Cook for 5 minutes.

Add zucchini, eggplant, and peppers to the skillet, mix together, and cook for about 10 minutes.  

Stir in tomato, basil, spices and salt and cook for another 5-7 minutes.  

This smelled and looked awesome!

You can serve ratatouille with just about anything: mixed with rice, quinoa or potatoes, with croutons on top, or as a side dish.  I've been eating mine with baked rice balls that I made this week with brown rice and organic beef:

This is such a simple recipe because if you have more or less of any of the veggies, it doesn't matter, you can use however much you have.  It also freezes really well, a plus for anyone who doesn't have a lot of time to cook but wants to have healthy meals on hand.  And only one pot to clean!  Once I perfect the rice ball recipe, that will be ready for sharing as well!