Ratatouille

I love the name ratatouille..it really rolls of the tongue.. but the fun doesn't end there as this dish is hearty, has so much depth and colour and is an excuse to eat a lot of bread! The  fire roasted bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini all bathing in a sweet onion, garlic and tomato sauce.. off the charts delicious. This does take some time to make but if you do it in big batches it really keeps for a couple days and is superb when hot, cold or room temperature. Serve with crostini or on a large piece of fresh baguette and you're good to go!

Ingredients:
1 medium sized eggplant
1 large yellow bell pepper
1 large red bell pepper
1 onion thinly sliced
5 roma tomatoes cut in thin wedges
1 tablespoon garlic finely minced
2 zucchini's- yellow or green
salt and pepper to taste
several tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes


Method:
Slice eggplant 3/4 of an inch thick and lay flat. Sprinkle some salt to let it sweat. Leave this alone for 15 minutes. When ready, wash well with water and pat dry.

Put your broiler on high and cook the bell peppers for about 20 minutes until the skin has charred. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap- the skin will peel easily after it rests this way for about 5 minutes. Peel skin, discard seeds and julienne. Place in a large bowl.

Heat oven to 425. Cut the zucchini 1/2 inch thick and lay on a baking tray. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Bake until soft (about 10 minutes) and transfer to the large bowl.
Layer the eggplant on a baking dish, drizzle with about a spoonful of oil and a sprinkle of salt and bake for 10-15 minutes. When cooked, add it to the peppers and zucchini.

In a large saute pan heat about a spoon of extra virgin olive oil and cook onions until soft. Add the garlic and cook a minute longer. Add the tomatoes and chili flakes. Cook until the tomatoes soften and release their juices. This will result in a thick sauce. Add salt and pepper. If it's runny, carry on cooking on a medium-high heat until it thickens. If it's too dry, add some hot water. When it's at the right consistency add it to the vegetables. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil if you like..I know I do!