Ratatouille

Just the other week, I watched Ratatouille with my 1-year-old nephew (ok, he was taking a nap, and I was doing the watching..shhh, don't judge).  Chefs on Chopped and various cooking shows seem to make this dish a lot, so I figured it must be something good.  And if a cartoon mouse can make it, then so can I, right?   I needed a side dish to go with our meat, and eggplant told me it wanted redemption over the last failed eggplant recipe (see failure), so this seemed like a perfect choice.  It was good.  I added a little too much oil because I forgot that I had halved the recipe, but whatever.  Accidents happen.  It still tasted good.


Ratatouille   (2013 Cookbook Challenge)
from James Beard's American Cookery
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 green peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 large eggplant, diced
4 small zucchini, cut into 1/4" slices
8-10 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Saute the onions and garlic in the oil in a deep saucepan or kettle until onions are transparent.  Add the peppers, eggplant, and zucchini and blend well.  Reduced heat; cover and cook 7-8 minutes until the eggplant begins to soften.  Add the tomatoes and seasonings and continue simmering, covered, for another 10 minutes.  Remove cover and let the mixture cook down, stirring often.  Add more seasoning to taste.  Serve hot.