Ratatouille

adapted from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking You’ll need: • 1/2 pound eggplant • 1/2 pound zucchini • 1 teaspoon salt • 4 tablespoons olive oil (not extra-virgin) • 1/2 pound yellow onions, thinly sliced • 2 green bell peppers, sliced • 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, if necessary • 2 cloves garlic, mashed • 1 can fire roasted tomatoes • 3 tablespoons parsley AND 1 tablespoon herbs de provence 1/2 cup red wine Salt and pepper Preparation: Peel the eggplant, cut off the stem and cut into chunks. Trim off zucchini ends. Cut into slices about the same size as the eggplant. Place vegetable slices in a large non-aluminum bowl (glass or plastic are fine). Toss with 1 teaspoon salt; let stand 30 minutes. Drain and pat slices dry on paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook eggplant and zucchini slices in batches until lightly browned, about 1 minute per side, adding more olive oil as needed. Set vegetables aside. Cook onions and bell peppers in the same skillet in 2 to 3 tablespoons oil until tender but not browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. cover skillet; cook over medium-low heat about 5 minutes. Add herbs and red wine simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Cook, uncovered, until juices have evaporated, about 15 minutes. Stir often to keep vegetables from scorching on the bottom. Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold. (I found I liked it even better the next day!)