Recipe Name Ratatouille Posted by Jennifer Hessmer Serves: 4-6 Occasion: Any Effort: Easy Ingredients: ˝ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 pound onions, coarsely chopped 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt, plus more to taste 1 pound eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes ˝ pound red bell pepper ˝ pound yellow bell pepper 1 pound ripe tomatoes (peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped) 4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole bouquet garni (2 springs fresh thyme, 2 by leaves and 1 small stalk celery with leaves tied in cheesecloth) 1 pound zucchini, quartered Freshly milled black pepper to taste Fresh torn basil leaves for garnish   How to Prepare: Warm the oil in a 4 to 5 quart heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add onions and salt and sauté for 10 minutes until softened; do not brown. Add eggplant, red peppers, yellow peppers, tomatoes and garlic. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Bury the bouquet garmi beneath the vegetables and lower the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, then add the zucchini. Continue to simmer, partially covered, for 30 to 45 minutes. Place a colander over a bowl and allow the vegetables to drain for 15 minutes. Discard the bouquet garni. Pour the juices into a sauté pan and reduce over high heat until thickened to a rich mahogany colored syrup. (optional) Pour the reduced vegetable syrup over the vegetables and toss to coat. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Allow the ratatouille to stand until cool. Garnish with torn basil leaves. More great recipes like this one can be found at: Jennifer Hessmer's Healthy Recipes http://www.jenniferhessmer.com/cgi-bin/recipes/recipe.cgi [ Print This Recipe ] [ Email Recipe To A Friend ] [ Back to Recipe ]