Ratatouille is a French stewed vegetable dish originating in Province and is one the heartiest and most delicious vegetarian meals I make. It is always a treat served with baguette with goat cheese melted on top ~yum~! It was kind of cloudy and rainy today, so I definitely wanted something a little on the warming side without going with a soup. This ended up being just the ticket :)
INGREDIENTS
~ Serves 2~
-1/4 large white onion
-1/2 zucchini
-1/2 summer squash
-1/3 eggplant
-1/2 red bell pepper
-15oz can crushed tomatoes
-2-3 cloves minced garlic
-1-2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed from stems
-4 slices baguette
-4oz goat cheese
DIRECTIONS
1. Prep the vegetables: small dice the white onion. Large dice the: zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, and bell pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables to the skillet. Season vegetables with salt and pepper and saute until mostly cooked through. Add the thyme leaves and garlic and saute for another minute before adding the crushed tomatoes. Simmer on low heat and adjust seasoning.
3. While ratatouille simmers, preheat the oven to broil. Lay the slices of baguette on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic powder, and spread with goat cheese. Bake until bread is toasted and cheese is partially melted (keep a close eye on it so the bread does not burn).
4. Serve the ratatouille in bowls with baguette on the side. I like to eat it by scooping the ratatouille onto the bread and eating it like a bruschetta!