Not Yo' Mama's Ratatouille

Not Yo' Mama's Ratatouille

Thanks to one wonderful Veggie Growing Neighbor, I had some fresh Zucchini to make this with. Eggplant and I are not friendly, so you will see none in this recipe. If you would like to add it in, substitute half of the Summer Squash and Zucchini for one large Eggplant. 

I like to freeze half of this recipe so the portion is large. Feel free to cut all ingredients in half for a smaller result.

Ingredients

1 Super Large Zucchini (there are 2 pictured but I only used the smaller one)

2 Summer Squash

1 Large Onion

2 Bell peppers (I used Red and Yellow :)

4 Vine Ripe Tomatoes

2 Cloves of Garlic 

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Dash of Salt

Double Dash Pepper

Method

Chop Onion and Peppers. Finely chop Garlic. Cut Squash and Zucchini (and Eggplant fi you are using one) into bite size pieces. There are two options for cooking this dish. They are a Crock pot* or a Dutch Oven**. If you do not have either a large saucepan with a cover will work. Follow the Dutch Oven** directions but be sure to keep your heat low and stir more frequently. 

*To cook in crock pot:

Add oil, salt and pepper to pot. Add in vegetables after cutting. Allow to cook on low for hours until vegetables are tender. (Keep covered in between stirs)

**To cook in Dutch Oven

Add oil, salt and pepper to Dutch Oven. Add in vegetables after cutting. Allow to cook on a low heat for about an hour until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. (Keep covered in between stirs)

You may enjoy this as a main dish with crispy bread and a side salad. It's delicious as a side for grilled chicken. It works great on top of your favorite pasta or rice, too. 

Another idea is to whip up a batch of my Sour Milk = French Crepes (minus the Vanilla so they're nice and savory) and fill with the Ratatouille. YUM!