Ratatouille & summer

Summer is here, Yipeee, fleeting sensation of crystal clear light, burning heat and smells. Lovely cooking smells, grilled peppers, herbs, ratatouille, just kidding not that one.

Ratatouille, is the essence of a pebble soup recipe: simple, full of flavour made out of a little of this, some of that, could be made 3 ways and don't forget to add a dash of unusual.

The Ratatouille recipe I use, is a combination of hours of watching others cook and hours of cooking. One thing is for certain, a good ratatouille need to be re-heated and preferably re-re-heated. It does not take very long to prepare.

RATATOUILLE

Ingredients:

2 large aubergines
2 onions
2 green peppers
2 tin tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
4 tbs olive oil
1 tbs of herbs (herbes de Provence)
a "big" pinch of sugar
salt and pepper

Method:

• peel and chop the onions, the peppers, the aubergine (cut the slices in 2) and the garlic


• heat the oil and add in this order, stirring as you go along


• onions, fry until transparent


• garlic and peppers, fry for 5 minutes


• tinned tomatoes


• seasoning: herbs, salt, pepper, sugar


• aubergines


• if you use the pressure cooker, cooking time is 30 minutes without it will take 45 minutes in a large saucepan with a lead .
  
• open add the courgettes and continue to cook on low heat for 30 minutes.

I do not salt the aubergines before cooking them, they don't seem are not bitter any longer. Monique is Nice used to add bacon, but if you do so reduce the salt.

The number of serving tips is countless here are some: lovely with fried eggs, roasted chicken,

you may remember the pain bagnat, well I have realised that "pressed down" sarnies are in fashion, so why not do the same: fill a ciabatta with ratatouille, roll in a cling-film and press it down with a board until the bread absorbs the juices,

if you have a little left, line a tart-tin with puff pastry cover with the left overs and slices goat cheese, cook in the oven for 20 minutes,

and finally if fish is on the menu, place the fish in an aluminium foil cover with ratatouille, fold tightly, place on a tray and bake for 15 minutes.