ratatouille marathon

Our neighbor down the road was ready to clear out his vegetable gardens before the first frost and invited Ange and I to come over and pick whatever we wanted that was remaining. His wife said she could not can one more jar of salsa -- she was DONE! This was great news for us since we no longer grow a vegetable garden. (The daylilies have taken it over....oops!) We picked red and green tomatoes and even some green beans that were planted mid-season. We will continue to enjoy these fresh tomatoes for a couple more weeks yet.

Using these fresh tomatoes, I just finished my annual ratatouille-making marathon. I made a few batches so there is enough in the freezer to last until next summer. Ever since Ange and I first had this delicious soup/side dish at my good friend Sharon's home, I have been regularly making it every fall. I use many of Sharon's recipes - she's a great cook!

Here's the recipe:

Ratatouille
This recipe can be served either hot or cold and freezes very well.
 
¼ c. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 onions, thinly sliced
3 green or red peppers, cut in strips
1 eggplant, diced
4 zucchini squash, cubed
4-5 large tomatoes, peeled and diced
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. oregano
½ tsp. dill
½ tsp. Herbes de Provence
½ tsp. sweet basil
¼ c. lemon juice
 
Heat oil until a haze forms, Sauté onions and garlic until golden brown, then add green pepper strips, eggplant and squash; continue cooking for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
 
Put in tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, dill, Herbes de Provence, sweet basil and lemon juice. Cover and cook over a low flame for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes to allow excess liquid to evaporate.
 
Yield: 2 quarts
½ cup = Approx. 150 calories