ratatouille

so i was looking at my supply of vegetables, and i wanted to do something different with my zucchini.  since i have this nifty copy of joy of cooking (courtesy of my sister), i went to the index to see what it would have for summer squash.  lo and behold, it sent me to a ratatouille recipe.  i decided to modify the recipe (slightly).

prep time is about 15 minutes, and total cooking time is about 45 minutes.  no rodent assistance with the cooking is required, even...i can do the preparation without a rat pulling my hair and jerking my arms around!

there appear to be about three brian-sized portions.

ingredients:
- 1 small eggplants (probably about a half-pound)
- 2 zucchini (again, about a half-pound)
- a few small sweet onions (hey, i had them so i figured i'd use them...)
- 3 garlic cloves
- a pint of diced tomatoes (canned from dad's garden)
- olive oil
- basil, thyme, salt/pepper

preparation:
although the recipe implies that the vegetables can be prepared as the food is cooking, i'd prefer to prepare everything before i start the cooking process.  as such, peel the eggplant (apparently the skin is tough) and cut into one-inch chunks.  also, cut the zucchini into chunks (skin can remain).  on a separate plate, slice the onions and finely chop the garlic.

add olive oil to a large skillet and to a medium heat.  add the zucchini and eggplant and cook, stirring until golden and barely tender (about 10 minutes).  remove the vegetables.

add the onions with a little olive oil until slightly softened and then add the garlic.  stir occasionally until tender but not brown (it took me about 6 minutes).

add the tomatoes, thyme, and salt/pepper.  reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.  add the eggplant and squash, and cook until everything is tender (about 20 minutes more).  stir in basil.

verdict:
i think it was the combination of the basil and tomato, but the dish was sweeter than i expected.  it also needs something to sop up all the juice; if i hadn't already planned on the starch of the corn, i'd've cooked some rice.  i like the flavor combinations, but it does seem to lack something.  maybe it has something to do with the fact that the diced tomatoes didn't really have any structure (they all fell apart in the pan).  if/when i cook this again, i'll have to play with it and see what else could work.  possibly carrots and green beans?

beyond all this, i had planned on sprinkling feta cheese on top.  but i forgot.  sadness.  i'll just have to remember to do it for the leftovers!