Old-Fashion Ratatouille

Memories live inside us. Good or bad, memories have a way of uplifting or plaguing a man's soul. And I'll never forget the time spent in Nice, France. It is one of my favorite cities in the world. Part of my soul thrives in the ocean, and with it's Roman, Greek and Italian influence, Nice is a place of its own. 

Words cannot describe the feelings and aura of Nice. At sunset, the ocean is like a canvas painting. The  old town is as beautiful as a rose garden in the summer. And the food recipes are as ancient as Rome itself. 

Check out my travel images + stories from my travel blog,  The Lemon Tree. Discover more at:  20 Amazing Photos from Nice, France that Will Stir Your Soul

Ratatouille is a French Provencal stewed vegetable dish that originates in Nice, France. There are many versions of it, but usually it consists of eggplant, bell pepper, zucchini, onion, garlic, tomatoes and local green herbs for flavoring. The dish originated in the 18th Century and "touiller" means "to stir up." 

I made this the old traditional way of stirring vegetables in a pot to simmer. In modern times, food bloggers create beautiful circular arrangements of squash and zucchini for baking, but the easier and less time consuming way is to make it like they did in the 1700's. 

Enjoy! 

Old-Fashion Ratatouille
Cooking time: 20-30 minutes
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small onion, chopped (used purple)
2 peppers, chopped (any color, I did one red + one green)
1 very small eggplant, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 14.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp fresh oregano
2 sprigs of thyme
salt+pepper to taste

Directions:
In a pot, cook the onion + garlic in olive oil for several minutes. Add the eggplant and peppers and cook + stir for several minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until edible and fragrant. Continue to stir so the vegetables do not stick on the bottom of the pot.

Enjoy as a side dish or part of the main course. 

Let's Connect! Enjoy my other recipes below!

Lemon Basil + Arugula Pasta

Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables

Agave-Mandarin Roasted Rainbow Carrots

Yum

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