Ratatouille

This is just eggplant, tomatoes, other vegetables on hand, and herbs cooked together in a pot. At the store last night I was looking for local vegetables and ended up with eggplant and parsnips.

Ingredients:

1 eggplant

2 16 oz cans tomatoes

The rest is whatever vegetables and herbs you have on hand.  here is what I had:

2 small green peppers

some mushrooms

a giant leek (or onion)

6 garlic cloves chopped

3 parsnips

a bunch of kale chopped

edamame (boiled and shelled)

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

5 fresh figs 

lots of basil, some tarragon, rosemary and marjorum from the garden, chopped

I first peeled and cut up the eggplant, added some salt and let it sweat for a while (20 minutes). then rinsed it off.    I've heard this removes the bitter taste.   The parsnips you peel and chop like carrots.  I combined the parsnips, a giant leek, the eggplant, and tomatoes and started cooking that in a big pot on the stove. Then chopped the garlic, mushrooms, green peppers and added that. added the quinoa and kale. Let that cook for another half hour.  The total cooking time is probably 45 minutes to an hour.  Add the edamame in the last 15 minutes.  In the last 5-10 minutes, add the herbs and figs.   I thought it was good but housemate didn't like it because she doesn't like eggplant or parsnips.  I could have done without the parsnips too.  I haven't eaten them much and have not developed a taste for them.