Ratatouille Inspired Recipe

Recipe adapted from: Plenty, by Yotam Ottolenghi

5 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 small onions, cut into 1-¼ inch dice
4 garlic cloves, sliced
4 Jimmy Nardello peppers, cut into 1-¼ inch dice
1 cup green beans, trimmed
1 summer squash, cut into 1-¼ inch dice
1/2 large eggplants, peeled and cut into 1-¼ inch dice
1 potato, peeled and cut into 1-¼ inch dice
2-3 tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper
1 cup water
Chopped cilantro, basil, or parsley to garnish

Pour half of the oil into a large heavy casserole or pot and place over medium high heat. Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and Jimmy Nardellos and fry for 5 more minutes. Lift these veggies out of the pot and into a medium bowl using a slotted spoon. Try to leave as much of the oil in the pan as possible. Top this off with the remaining oil and add the beans, zucchini and eggplant to the hot oil and fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return the contents of the bowl to the pot. Add the potato, tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste and plenty of salt and pepper. Stir well, then pour in the water, or just enough to half cover the vegetables. Cover with a lid and leave to simmer gently for 30 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper if you want. Preheat your oven to 400°. Use a slotted spoon to gently lift the vegetables from the pot into a deep roasting pan. You want a layer about 1-inch thick. Pour the liquid over the vegetables and cook in the oven for 30 minutes. Everything should be very soft by this point and the liquid will be mostly evaporated. Garnish with cilantro or basil. I like this over rice, cous-cous and other grains.