Ratatouille

• 1 large onion
• 3 zucchini or yellow summer squash or a blend
• 4 medium sized heirloom tomatoes, or 8 roma variety sauce tomatoes
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 red peppers
• 1 green peppers
• 5-6 long, narrow eggplants, or 2 of the big, fat, round variety
• 6-8 cloves of garlic
• ¼ cup of fresh thyme leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• LOTS of olive oil

First, address the eggplant. If you are using the long, narrow variety, then slice the eggplant into ½ inch thick circles. If you are using the larger, more rotund variety, then slice and chop ‘em up into bit sized chiunks. Put them in a large bowl filled with warm water and a few tablespoons of salt. Makre sure the salt is dissolved and the eggplant slices are completely submerged. Set aside for 30 minutes to soften the eggplant.

Now dice the onion. Add 2 tablesponons of olive oil to a dutch oven on the stove. (You’ll notice that in the photos, I started with a cast iron skillet, but shortly after adding the eggplant I realized the error of my ways and had to switch to a dutch oven.  Save some dishes and just start with the dutch oven) Add the onions and sautee on mdedium heat until the onions are beginning to turn translucent. About 7-8 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the zucchini. Chop them to your desired chunkiness. I like to slice thm into ½ inch circles, then cut the circles into fourths. Remember to periodically stir your onions on the stove.

After about 7-8 minutes and the onions are strating to turn transclucent, add the zucchini, a pinch of salt, and another tablespoon of olive oil. Sautee for another 10 minutes, to allow the zucchini to begin to soften. Meanwhile, chop or dice the peppers to your desired chunkiness. Add the peppers to the dutch oven after the allotted ten minutes of zucchini-onion sautéing. Check to see if you need to add more olive oil. Sautee for another 4-5 minutes.

At this point, the eggplant should have soaked long enough in the salt-water. Drain the eggplant. Add them to the pot. Add another tablespoon of olive oil, and sautee for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, roughly chop the tomatoes, the fresh thyme, and garlic. Add them to the pot after the eggplant has begun to soften. Stir thouroughly. Reduce heat to low and simmer for another 30-45 minutes. You want the zucchini and the eggplant to be extremely tender at the end of the cooking.

Serve over a bed of rice with or without some ground beef or lamb.