Ratatouille

Not the movie ... although, that is pretty awesome too. (I have to say, I fully identify with the he foodie little rodent.)

No, this is the simple aromatic French stew that gets cooked up in the Breathe Kitchen whenever I have a glut of peppers needing attention.

I recently heard that my drummer-son is having a go at cooking. That is, cooking actual food. Cooking.

Once recovered from the cosmic shock of this news, I thought I'd help encourage this new skill with a simple, versatile and yet impressive little dish to try, that is quite difficult to ruin.

So this one's for you, Jamie!

Here's hoping it will be a 'hit' .

Cooking skills take some practice but 'stick' with it.

May this dish become a cymbal of your culinary success.

(...and any other puns ...)

So. To the recipe.

Don't forget to light a cooking candle. It's what we Joiners do, remember?

RATATOULLE

2onions, sliced.

2 cloves garlic. Chopped.

A red, green & yellow pepper. (Or any old combination of peppers.)

1 aubergine, cut in half lengthways, then sliced.

A courgette if you have one, sliced. 

A can of chopped tomatoes. Opened.

A handful cherry tomatoes. Lobbed in with the rest.

Tea spoon each of dried marjoram & oregano. (Or just standard mixed herbs if that's not in your store cupboard)

A bay leaf. ( but don't panic if you don't have any, Jamie. It works without one!)

Simply chop up all your veg.

On a medium heat, get a pan and pop a blob of butter in it and a glut of olive oil. 

Start piling in the veg. I usually begin with the aubergine then add the onions and garlic,

Followed by the rest.

Let it begin to cook down gently and then add the herbs, a good pinch of salt and black pepper.

If I'm in the mood I would add half a glass of white wine. But you could just drink it, Jamie.

Let it simmer away for about 20 minutes and it will be ready to eat. But if you have more time pop a lid on the pan and reduce the heat to low. Let it stew for an hour or more. Somehow the flavours intensify and meld together in such harmonious ways.

Serve with a crumble of feta cheese on the top, or Parmesan, or even good ol' cheddar. 

It comes alive with some fresh thyme, or a few basil leaves or parsley. And looks pretty.

Have a hunk of French bread with it and it's a meal in its own right.

Or serve it as a side dish with good sausages, baked fish, or a steak ... 

It freezes really well, so you could make up a great big batch of it, portion it into freezer boxes and it's ready for you when you get in from a long day working. 

May you enjoy cooking as much as you do eating!