The farmer’s market had eggplant last Sunday, so I got some so I could make ratatouille. I really like ratatouille because it’s a dish that shows off the delicious flavors of summer produce. It has eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers and tomatoes. This is the recipe I use. It’s from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups peeled, cubed eggplant
• 1 1/2 cups zucchini, cut into half moons
• 1 cup chopped tomato (I put two tomatoes in the picture, but I only ended up using the yellow one)
• 3/4 cup chopped bell pepper (I used a green one but you can use other colors)
• 3 tbsp dry white wine or homemade vegetable broth (I used Sauvignon Blanc but Pinot Grigio is good too. Unfortunately, a lot of wines have plastic corks. But you can avoid plastic corks by looking up wines on CorkWatch. The wine I used has a plastic cork. I got it a long time ago and I didn’t know about the plastic cork thing until later. I’ll get a different brand without a plastic cork next time.)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried)

Heat the oil in a skillet. Saute the onions and garlic until tender.

Add eggplant, zucchini, tomato, bell pepper, wine, salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about ten minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Cook uncovered for about five to seven more minutes, or until most of the liquid is evaporated. Add basil and serve.