Zucchini & Eggplant Stew
Ratatouille Nicoise
(Serves 12)

You'll dream of sunny Provence when you try this dish, a delightful concoction of Mediterranean vegetables and seasonings.

1/2 C olive oil
3 lbs. eggplant, small ones are best (skin on, 1 1/2" cubes)
2 tsp. salt
2 T olive oil
1/4 C (or so) chicken broth *
2 medium onions (coarsely chopped)
4 medium zucchini (1 1/2" cubes)
2 medium red or yellow peppers (1/2" strips)
1 medium green pepper (1/2" strips)
3 large cloves garlic (crushed or minced)
2 16-oz. cans Italian tomatoes (drained)
4 oz. tomato paste
2 T dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch of cayenne
1/4 C fresh parsley (chopped
1/4 C fresh dill (chopped) **

Preheat oven to 375.  In a large bowl, toss the eggplant cubes with 1/2 C oil and salt; turn into a foil-lined baking pan. Cover pan and bake for 20 minutes, till eggplant is just soft and glistening (be careful not to overcook; it has more cooking yet to do). Set aside. 

Using the 2 T oil, sauté onion, zucchini, and peppers in a large skillet, adding small amounts of chicken broth if it becomes too dry. Cook 10-15 minutes, stirring and tossing, till vegetables are just soft. Add garlic and cook 3 more minutes (don’t let garlic burn). Add tomatoes, paste and remaining ingredients and simmer 10 more minutes.  Add eggplant mixture to pot and simmer 10-15 more minutes. Serve at any temperature (it’s delicious warm, cold, or at room temperature).

* Using chicken broth cuts down on the amount of oil needed. Small amounts are wonderful for sauteing.

** Dill isn't normally thought of as a Mediterranean herb (though it grows there), but it's adds a certain je ne se quoi to this dish.

Tips & Glossary: French

Bouquet Garni: (boo-kay gar-nee)  bundle of  herbs tied together with string or wrapped in cheese cloth square; usually parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Flavor is released during long cooking.  Remove before serving.

Chervil: (sher-vil) related to parsley but has a delicate anise flavor. Long cooking kills flavor, so add at the last minute.

Cornichon:  (kor-nee-shon) teeny-tiny pickle, served with pates & smoked meats; found in specialty food stores.

Fines Herbes: (feen-airb) mix of finely chopped herbs: parsley, chives, tarragon, & chervil. Not as strong as a bouqet garni. Buy it at most grocery stores.

Fromage: (fra-mahj) Cheese!  The French eat more than any nationality, 45 pounds per year; and the country makes more cheeses than any other country, about 400. The three great pedigreed French cheeses are:
• Brie (East of Paris)
• Camembert (Normandy)
• Roquefort (Southwest   France, from sheep’s milk)
There are also wonderful lesser-known cheeses:
• Beaufort (Rhone Alps, hard,   yellow Gruyere-type)
• Chevre (Loire Valley, soft,   goat’s milk)
• Comte (Alps region, hard,    yellow Gruyere-type)
• Emmental (Alps region,   “Swiss” cheese with holes)
• Gruyere (hard, yellow   cheese—originally French,   now most is Swiss)
• Tomme (means “cheese”;   soft, many varieties, all   from skim milk)

Herbes de Provence:  (airb-duh-pro-vonce) mix of dried herbs, usually thyme, rosemary, marjoram, basil, & bay leaf.  Can be found at most grocery stores.

Mutarde: (moo-tard), mustard. Most famous:
• Dijon ( from the town in Burgundy)
• Meaux (from Meaux, east of Paris; whole-grained; made by Pommery).

Nicoise Olive:  (nee-swaz- oh-leev) small, purplish-black olive with a mellow, nutty flavor; used primarily in Salade Nicoise. The Picholine variety is a green, medium-sized olive with a light, nutty flavor.

Roux: (roo) paste-like mix of melted butter and flour, into which liquid is gradually added.  The basis of every classic French sauce. 
Basic Roux: 1 part butter to 1 part flour.  Melt butter and add flour, stirring vigorously, till it becomes a paste-like consistency. At this point, add slowly whatever liquid your recipe calls for.