SPRING RATATOUILLE

Can you go past a vibrant, colourful ratatouille in the beginning of spring? I know I can't. I like to make ratatouille whenever I feel like I am on the cusp of getting a cold/cough/flu-like symptoms. Maybe it has more of a placebo effect than anything else, but my illnesses seems to fade after consuming this dish. Perhaps it is the marvellous aroma that this dish emits that cures my sickness. In my personal opinion, this ratatouille smells like the first days of spring; beautifully fragrant with the hope and promise of glorious warm days ahead. The fresh thyme in this recipe adds a freshness to this dish that is incomparable.

This recipe is adapted from Bill Granger's 'Holiday' cookbook. A few alterations have been made, such as the name of the dish- Bill calls his 'Green Ratatouille' and as you can see mine is not. The beauty of ratatouille is that the ingredients can be so diverse; I usually make it with whatever vegetables I have in my fridge. The ingredients below are just a guideline. I definitely advise using thyme though!


Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large zucchini or 5-6 small zucchini, diced
• 1 brown onion, diced
• 4 celery stalks, diced 
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 red capsicums, seeded & diced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves 
• I used about 3 tablespoons ! I suggest using more than 2 teaspoons as the flavour of the dish is intensified greatly by this herb. 
• sea salt 
• freshly ground pepper

Cooking 

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. 

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini & cook, stirring occasionally, until light golden. This will take approximately 5-6 minutes. 

3. Remove zucchini from heat and place in a large overproof dish. I like to use my roasting tin. 

4. Return pan to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add onion, garlic, celery and capsicum and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-7 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Add vegetables to zucchini and sprinkle with thyme leaves, salt & pepper. Mix ingredients gently. Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes. I like to serve with doongara rice. 

AND ENJOY THE AROMA! hopefully it cures your ailments as it has done mine in the past. 

x E