Ratatouille is one of the meals that we like to eat all summer. It tastes so fresh, and I can make it from ingredients in my garden. I am guessing that French would put their head in their hands when they see my version as it doesn’t involve aubergines (unless we have grown them). We use it not only as a side dish to meat and fish, but serve it with pasta, add pulled chicken to it to serve with rice or mashed potato, turn it into a soup, and use it in pasties with mashed potatoes. I make it with my own bottled or frozen tomatoes as much as I can to keep the costs down, but sometimes at the beginning of the season I do used canned tomatoes. Swap the vegetables that you already have into the recipe. If you do use carrots, it is best to cook them a bit first.
Ingredients
Oil for cooking (I use Olive oil)
2 medium onions
A garlic glove
2 halves of different coloured peppers
A couple of small courgettes
A tin of tomatoes (if you are using cheap ones you will need more tomato puree) or about 1lb fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped.
1 aubergine if you have one. (I often bulk mine out with a handful of frozen sweet corn, and some frozen peas).
1 tbsp tomato puree (optional)
A quarter of a tsp of sugar, or a squeeze of tomato sauce. (optional)
Basil to taste. I like to add mixed herbs at this time of the year..
Method
- Heat the oil and fry the aubergine until golden brown. Drain it on a piece of kitchen paper or something..
- Fry the onions and the peppers util soft, and then add the garlic and the courgette and cook for another 3 minutes
- Add all of the rest of the ingredients and stir.
- Cover the pan and simmer for about 20 minutes. (I often put it in my slow cooker and cook on low for a couple of hours at this point to save on energy and condensation). Yesterday I cooked it on the fire outside.
This ratatouille recipe freezes well, and I often make extra in the summer when I have an abundance of courgettes, and freeze. Some people like it with a thinner sauce and so you can leave out the tomato puree if that is you. Yesterday mine was made of a real mixture of ingredients. It had Swiss chard in it, peppers, half a courgette, stalks from wild garlic, mushrooms, and onions. It was all I had in, but it tasted just as good. Do you make ratatouille with what is growing in your garden or you find in the fridge?
