It’s time for another installment of Summer Fest. This week
is eggplant. Now I’m not a huge fan of eggplant but I do like vegetable stews,
one in particular – Ratatouille, which contains mushrooms, zucchini and
eggplant with tomatoes, onions, garlic and green peppers. The result is a
flavorful, simple to make dish that is perfect for any night of the week.  Leftovers can be served over rice for a quick
and healthy lunch.

As always there will be a list of other fantastic recipes using eggplant, so be sure to read all the way to the bottom so you don’t miss any of them from this talented group of bloggers/cooks.

This ratatouille recipe comes from the Culinary Institute of
America Cookbook I received when I took a class there last year.  I will have more recipes from this cookbook
when I start my “cookbook of the month” review series.  The CIA cookbook has a great selection of
recipes from different cuisines and uses techniques that range from simple to
advanced, but more about this cookbook in another post.  Right now let’s get to the ratatouille!

This is a one pot meal which makes it perfect for a weekday or weekend meal. It’s quick cooking so it helps to have all your ingredients ready to be added.  A recipe like this one is good for practice  knife skills, since there is a lot of chopping involved.  The fresh herbs added to this dish gives it a
fresh flavor that compliments the fresh veggies.  Not one of the veggies are the star of the
show, but if you like one vegetable more than another you can always add more
of it.  This dish is a great use up for
all those farmer’s market finds at the end of summer when there seems to be an
abundance. 

To make ratatouille you’ll need

2 T olive oil

3 T minced garlic

2 cups chopped yellow onions

1 T tomato paste

¾ cup chicken broth

4 cups chopped eggplant

1 1/3 cups sliced zucchini (quartered lengthwise before
slicing)

1 cup quartered mushrooms

1 cup diced green peppers

2 cups chopped tomatoes (peeled and seeded)

¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

¼ cup chopped basil

Salt and pepper as needed

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the
garlic and sauté until aromatic, about 1 minute.  Add the onions and sauté until translucent, 4
to 5 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and cook over medium heat until it
deepens in color and gives off a sweet aroma, about 1 minute.  Add the broth and stir to deglaze the pan,
scraping up any browned bits from the pan bottom.

Add the eggplant, zucchini , mushrooms and green pepper and
simmer until the vegetables are tender but not falling apart, 10 to 12
minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes and
continue to simmer until the tomatoes are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the parsley and basil.  Taste, season with salt and pepper then
serve.