RATATOUILLE

Serves 6–8 You know the movie Ratatouille about the mouse who cooks? When we watched the movie, we wanted to make ratatouille for ourselves! We were able to find the ingredients all at our local farmers’ market on a weekend in July. It was cool to find all the different colors of vegetables. Did you know they have white eggplants? Have you ever seen purple tomatoes? There’s even squash that’s striped like a tiger! New foods are really exciting and we love to go on a food adventure discovering new stuff–this recipe is the perfect start. This recipe makes so much ratatouille that we had it for lunch for almost a whole week! Next time we made it, we put it in containers for the freezer, so it’s easy to save and have the fresh flavors of summer when it’s snowy. INGREDIENTS • 2 medium-sized eggplants, diced ½ inch • 2 bell peppers, diced ½ inch • 2 large tomatoes, diced ½ inch • 1 large zucchini, diced ½ inch • 1 large yellow squash, diced ½ inch • 1 red onion, peeled • 1 (14.5 oz (411 g)) can stewed tomatoes • 3 Tbsp (45 ml) lard or olive oil, divided • 2 cloves of garlic, minced • ¼ cup Bone Stock • 1 tsp (5 ml) thyme • ½ tsp rosemary • ½ tsp sage • 1 tsp (5 ml) salt • ½ tsp pepper INSTRUCTIONS AND HOW KIDS CAN HELP 1. Pour the canned tomatoes into a large bowl and, with a masher, crush the canned tomatoes into thick liquid. If you don’t have a masher, little hands work perfectly too!. 2. Using one tablespoon of oil, sauté the onions, garlic, and eggplant until softened, about 8 minutes. 3. Once the cooked vegetables are finished, add cooked vegetables and the remaining diced vegetables with broth into large bowl and mix. 4. Add smashed tomatoes, herbs, salt, and pepper and mix until ingredients are evenly distributed. 5. Evenly spread remaining oil over 9-by-13-inch glass or other baking dish. 6. Pour mixed vegetables into baking dish. 7. Cook uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

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Ratatouille became a must-cook in our house the moment the kids finished the movie about the mouse who cooks. Eggplant, peppers, zucchini, squash, and tomatoes all diced to half an inch, baked until everything melts together. One pan feeds you for days — ours went to lunch for nearly a week.

Pro Tips

• Keep every vegetable at an even ½-inch dice so they all soften at the same rate in the 45-minute bake.
• Sauté the onion, garlic, and eggplant first — about 8 minutes in a tablespoon of the oil — because eggplant needs the head start to turn silky; the rest go in raw.
• Crush the canned stewed tomatoes into thick liquid with a masher (or let small hands do it) before mixing them in with the herbs and stock.
• This recipe makes a big batch on purpose: cool the leftovers completely, portion into freezer containers, and reheat a taste of summer in the middle of winter.
• Buy the vegetables at a farmers' market if you can — white eggplants, purple tomatoes, and striped squash all work here and make the dish gorgeous.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to sauté the eggplant before baking?

Yes — those 8 minutes with the onion and garlic soften it and build flavor. Skip it and the eggplant stays rubbery while everything else overcooks.

Can I freeze leftover ratatouille?

That's the plan — cool it completely, portion it into containers, and freeze. It reheats with all its fresh summer flavor intact.

What is the bone stock for?

A quarter cup mixed through the vegetables adds depth and just enough moisture for the long uncovered bake, so the edges caramelize instead of scorching.

How many does this ratatouille recipe serve?

Six to eight as a side dish from a 9-by-13 baking dish.

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