Eggplant, zucchini, onion, tomato, garlic. Now, what's mot to love!

Peppers too, and fresh basil. I saut� eggplant cubes, zucchini slices, onion slices, and green pepper slices separately, and only add the wet ingredient, tomatoes after that. I also add quite a bit of dried marjoram.
I like more eggplant in it than zucchini.

Oh, and green peppers, of course!

We call the vegetable dish I make and my DH loves ratatouille but I was not sure if we should, so I looked it up in Wiki - link attached. In fact we make ratatouille two ways like described in the link. My DH started making it first and uses the long complicated method - first sauteing veggies separately, then layering them in the dish and baking in the oven. It takes for ever but it sure is delicious. He does use many more different veggies than I do, including the onions and sometimes even mushrooms, really yummy. One of my DH versions is described in our food blog, send me an e-mail and I will send the link if you are interested.
I make my version on the stove-top, start by sauteing the eggplant in oil, next chopped up peppers, then chopped up cooked plantain ( to add substance and volume to the dish) and then plum tomatoes in their own juice, chopped. I spice it with stake spice mix. I do not add onions or garlic, as I like the taste that comes from the veggies that I include, and do not need the extra taste of garlic and onion. I saute this all until everything is well cooked and mixed together. Usually I have it done in about 30 min or a little longer.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ratatouille

I love when all the summer veggies are here, and you can cheaply add other colors of bell peppers, make it even prettier.

I also make a saute of onions, zucchini, a few mushrooms, garlic, and then add tomatoes towards the end. Basil, oregano, parsley if I have it. But I don't call that ratatoille, which I think of as the complicated method, but oh, so worth it!

Seems like I remember doing a roasted ratatouille last summer that was very good:
eggplant, zucchini, onions, bell peppers, garlic, herbs (fresh if possible, especially basil), olive oil and sometimes a splash of balsamic vinegar just before serving

This was so good on hot, cooked pasta with some grated Parm sprinkled all over.....mmmmmmm

I loved Ratatouille, and then I tried Caponata, which I guess is the Italian version. I never went back. Here's my favorite version. And I don't mean to hijack your thread! Those cubes should say one half.

CAPONATA

1 Medium Eggplant, cut into �" cubes
1 � Tablespoons Pickling Salt
2 Large Tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Medium Sweet Red Pepper, diced
1 Cup diced Zucchini
� Cup Chopped Onion, more to taste
3 large Garlic Cloves, Minced
� Cup chopped stuffed Green Olives
1 Tablespoon Capers
1 Bay Leaf
1 Teaspoon Fresh Thyme
Salt and freshly ground Pepper
1/3 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
2 Teaspoons Granulated Sugar
2 Teaspoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste

Place Eggplant in a nonreactive bowl and sprinkle with the Pickling Salt and stir well. Let stand for 2 hours. Drain in a sieve and rinse well. Drain thoroughly and press out excess moisture.

Place Eggplant, Tomatoes, Red Pepper, Zucchini, Onion, Garlic, Olives, Capers Bay leaf, Thyme Salt and Pepper in a large roasting pan. Heat Vinegar, Sugar and Oil in microwave until hot stir into Vegetables. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 1 � hours until Vegetables are softened and liquid has evaporated, stirring every 20 minutes. Remove from the oven discard Bay Leaf and stir in Tomato Paste.

This is excellent as a topping for Bruscetta, or with the addition of a bit more Tomato, as a topping for Pasta. A squeeze of Lemon Juice and some of the Zest really helps to brighten up the flavors.

Steve

In my mind, the "must have" for good ratatouille is fresh, home grown (in a garden) tomatoes!! You can make it with other tomato produccts (canned, dried or the weird "fresh" ones they sell off-season at the grocery), but it just isn't the same. I sort of get the impression that the best ratatiouille is made with whatever is coming on strong in the garden the morning you go out to pick your ingredients. Made that way, it doesn't matter to me what your prep. method is, I LOVE it. The slower the cooking the more caramelization of the flavors though, no doubt abut that.

My version: Saute onions slices in olive oil in a big pot, then add slices of red and green bell pepper and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook about a minute. Remove mixture from the pot. Have sliced eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini and yellow squash ready and layer those vegetables and the cooked mixture two or three times. Add a small squeeze of catsup, salt and pepper and dried basil two or three times during the layering. Add a small amount of water--about a quarter of a cup. Cook gently until everything is soft and water has been released from the vegetables. Stir the vegetables gently and drain the water into a sauce pan by pressing a ladle into the vegetables. There is a lot of water from the vegetables. Reduce the water way down to sauce consistency, return the reduced sauce to the pot, stir into vegetables and serve. I've have people say eeewwww when I tell them I put a little catsup in my ratatouille but it makes it really good. Ratatouille can also be frozen.

Essential to the dish: eggplant, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, zucchini, herbes de Provence

I also like capers and black olives in mine - with a bit of chopped fresh garlic in the braise.

Good warm and cold. Eat with some feta and rustic bread. Toss with some al dente pasta. Add some to an omelette. Use as a topping for grilled fresh striped bass or swordfish.

seagrass