Ratatouille Niçoise

Here is a nice recipe for Ratatouille made in the mode of Nice that is easy to prepare. It's flavorful and has sufficient garlic to please most palates.


First the ingredients:

2 aubergines (egg plants)
2 zucchinis
2 large onions, preferably red ones
3 Roma tomatoes
2 green peppers
6 basil leaves
6 cloves of garlic
olive oil
pepper
salt
thyme
capers, as you please

First, heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  Chop the garlic and onion.  Add them and sauté until the onion is transparent.


In the while, slice the zucchini and peel and cube the aubergine.  Flour the pieces of zucchini and aubergine lightly.  Add the zucchini, eggplant and green peppers to the skillet, cover and cook slowly about one hour.  Add the Italian tomatoes and simmer, uncovered, until the mixture thickens.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the capers during the last fifteen minutes of cooking.

You can serve it hot or cold with a baguette and whatever wine pleases you.  (Do have a glass of wine with it; and the cook gets a bonus glass of wine while preparing the ratatouille.  It's a Niçoise custom.)

You might get 5 to 6 servings out of this if you are not cooking for teenage boys or police.

Salut! Bon appetit!