Ratatouille - one delicious way to put up the garden harvest

Harvest season is in full swing in the garden at Local 98856 with a new challenge - to  stay ahead of all the boxes of fresh produce in the kitchen. An easy answer? Ratatouille!  This versatile and delicious peasant food can quickly use up stashes of tomatoes, eggplant, onions, garlic, green pepper, zucchini and fresh herbs and transform them into a tasty and colorful addition that freezes well for winter pasta and rice dishes.  Here's a loose recipe to try. We usually combine ingredients in parts that  use up the harvest. So if we have lots of eggplant in our kitchen, then there's lots of eggplant in our ratatouille! The following will give you a starting point. Feel free to modify to fit your taste!

8 C chopped garden ripe tomatoes
2 large eggplant cut into 1 inch pieces
2 large zucchini cut into 1 inch pieces
2 large onions, diced large
1 head garlic, cloves smashed & peeled
2 bell peppers (any color), seeded & diced large
2 T fresh chopped herbs - basil, thyme, oregano, marjoram all work great!
6 T olive oil
3 T red-wine vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

Start by heating oil in skillet, add garlic & onions and cook until translucent, add eggplant, zucchini, pepper and cook over medium heat until soft.  Add tomatoes & fresh herbs and continue cooking over low heat until ingredients are soft and some of the moisture has cooked off, about 20 minutes.  Season with salt , pepper & vinegar.

When mixture has completely cooled, ratatouille can be frozen for later use.  These flavors served over your favorite pasta or rice in the depths of winter will remind you why you planted your summer garden and encourage you to do it again!