Ratatouille
rat-a-TOO-ee
from the Omaha World-Herald  July 4, 2007

1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, cut into ½-inch dice (about 2 cups)
2 cloves of garlic, crushed or sliced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 cup)
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 small eggplant or 1/2 large eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 3 cups)
2 fist-sized tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 4 cups)
Salt and pepper

Clean and carefully dice all the vegetables, making sure they are equally sized for even cooking.

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet or a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Do not brown. Reduce heat to medium-low and add garlic.

Add peppers and cook until they just begin to soften, about two minutes.

Add half the herbs, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and all of the eggplant. Cook three to four minutes.

Add tomato and cook for two minutes.

Add zucchini and cook, stirring often, until it is softened but neither crunchy nor mushy, about 10 minutes.

Add the rest of the herbs and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot, at room temperature or chilled, as a side dish. May also be used as a relish on sandwiches, a dip for crackers or a topping for toast. Leftovers taste even better the next day.

Estimated prep time: 25 minutes   Estimated cooking time: 25 minutes
Makes six servings as a side dish.