Epicure Ratatouille Niçoise, 375 g, Pack of 12

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We were always busy. Whether it was pressing apples for homemade cider or trudging through the early spring snows of upstate NY to tap trees for maple syrup, there were always chores with each new season.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in the pot. Once the oil is good and hot, add the eggplant and sweet peppers and give them a good stir around the pan. We’re cooking these two vegetables first to give the dish some smoky, browned goodness and because they need the most attention for the biggest flavor payoff. Serve: If you have time, cover and allow the ratatouille to rest in its warm pot for 1 hour or so before serving. When you’re ready to serve, ladle into bowls. Optionally, top each with a sunny side up egg and pass around some crusty bread for dipping. Enjoy warm, at room temperature, cold, any which way! At this point, give it another gentle stir, and it’s ready to serve. You can also let it cool and put it in the fridge.

The salt also tenderises the flesh of the eggplant and makes the eggplant absorb less oil when cooking. Common wisdom also claims that salt removes the bitter taste in eggplants. However the reality is modern eggplants have had any bitterness bred out of them so it’s not a necessary step today. This summer, we sampled authentic French ratatouille in Provence. I liked some ratatouille more than others, so I vowed to come up with my own favorite ratatouille recipe when I came home. Today is the day! Bell peppers - We used red and yellow, for a nice pop of bright colour and because they are sweet. However, green and orange will work in this ratatouille too. Now I know what you’re saying, “But, Tracey, it’s just stewed vegetables? Don’t you get tired of eating the same thing all week? Ratatouille is a Versatile Dish Tomatoes (for the sauce) – Using a fresh tomato to me seems appropriate for a dish like Ratatouille where the whole idea is to celebrate fresh produce, but feel free to use canned tomato or passata. If you do, use a good brand please (I’m partial to Mutti). This is the sauce for this dish, so don’t ruin it with cheap, sour, flavourless canned tomato!!

Make ahead and leftovers: You can make Ratatouille ahead and refrigerate in a sealed container (preferably not plastic due to the tomato’s acidity). It will keep well for 4 days or so. Take it out 30 minutes or so before you are ready to serve. Warm it through over gentle heat or just bring it to room temperature.Ratatouille is a famously delicious French vegetable stew that contains eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers and herbs simmered in richly spiced tomato sauce. This exceptional French Provençal dish should be a staple for every home chef but many ratatouille recipes are overly complicated and time consuming. Braise everything– With all the vegetables in the pot, add the tomato, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix well, and stew on low for 20 – 25 minutes with the lid off until all the vegetables have gotten to know each other and are tender; Here’s the thing about ratatouille; it’s ridiculously versatile. Served piping hot, it becomes a warm comfort food equally good as the main course or a side dish. Eaten cold, straight from the fridge, the flavors are brighter and more pronounced. There are so many ways to enjoy ratatouille. Here are a few of my favorites. Once done, transfer the eggplant to a large pot in which all the vegetables will be combined to braise. Add each veg to this pot as you sauté them off. See below for why we use a separate pot;