Ratatouille

Serve hot as a main or side dish. Or, serve cold or at room temperature with Italian bread or toasted baguette.

Serves 6 to 8

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups or 1 (15 ounce) can vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 large or 2 small eggplant, peeled and diced
• 2 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 medium bell pepper, diced
• 1 pound mushrooms (button or crimini), quartered
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• Leaves of 5 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Leaves of 4 sprigs basil, chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)

Heat oil in a saucepan on medium and sauté onion 3 minutes until softened. Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes until aromatic. Add tomato paste, spread and mix well until color deepens and paste starts to stick to the pan, about 1 minute. Add broth and bay leaf, stir, and heat to a simmer. Deglaze pan (scrape browned bits from bottom). Add eggplant, zucchini, peppers and mushrooms. Mix well and cook 10 to 12 minutes. Mix often to evenly simmer the vegetables in the liquid being released by the eggplant. When eggplant has become mushy and falling apart, zucchini, peppers and mushrooms should still be tender and not yet mushy. Add tomatoes, mix and heat about 1 minute or until tomatoes are heated through. Reduce heat to lowest. Add parsley and basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Discard bay leaf.