Classic Ratatouille

This is a Jamie Oliver recipe; he's often my go-to chef when I'd like a classic but hearty recipe inspired by some region of the world. He's truly a lover of food, as I am, and I have never been let down by one of his creations. This week, as I make room in the pantry and deep freeze for the incoming vegetable and fruit share on its way, I decided to give his ratatouille recipe a try. Ratatouille is a family favorite. It always makes so much, tastes delicious over a bowl of rice or with a side of crusty, homemade bread, and it's perfect for leftovers (the flavors simply blossom in the refrigerator). 

True to form, the recipe was a hit. And there's enough for an entire week of leftovers for lunch. 

You need:

2 red onions

4 cloves of garlic

2 eggplant

3 zucchini

3 red or yellow peppers

6 ripe tomatoes

½ a bunch of fresh basil

olive oil

a few sprigs of fresh thyme

1 23oz can of plum tomatoes ( I use pomodorini pelati)

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

½ a lemon

Prep your ingredients before you start – peel and cut the onions into wedges, then peel and finely slice the garlic. Trim the aubergines and courgettes, deseed the peppers and chop into 2.5cm chunks. Roughly chop the tomatoes. Pick the basil leaves and set aside, then finely slice the stalks.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large casserole pan or saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped aubergines, courgettes and peppers (you may need to do this in batches) and fry for around 5 minutes, or until golden and softened, but not cooked through. Spoon the veg into a large bowl.

To the pan, add the onion, garlic, basil stalks and thyme leaves with another drizzle of oil, if needed. Fry for 10 to 15 minutes, or until softened and golden. Return the cooked veg to the pan and stir in the fresh and tinned tomatoes, the balsamic and a good pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Mix well, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon. Cover the pan and simmer over a low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, or until reduced, sticky and sweet. Tear in the basil leaves, finely grate in the lemon zest and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Serve with a hunk of bread or steamed rice.