A classic Provençal dish with a twist of Dijon, oregano, and chile pepper.
Here’s another early-fall addition to your recipe repertoire, with touches of circulation-enhancing, heart-protecting heat from colorful chile peppers. Let’s also throw in powerful, oregano—which helps fight pathogens, enhancing probiotic balance in the GI tract—plus sage and rosemary, fresh from the fall garden. As the New England foliage bursts into color, this ratatouille blossoms with parallel colors on the stove.
Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 3 small-to-medium eggplants (ends trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch cubes)
- 1 small (4-inch or smaller) hot chile pepper (sliced into very thin rounds)
- 2-3 bell peppers (green, red, yellow), sliced
- 2-3 small to medium zucchini (sliced in 1/8-inch rounds)
- 1-3 tbsp fresh oregano (or more to taste), minced fine
- 1-2 tbsp each of sage and rosemary*
- Canola oil (GMO-free, in glass container)
- Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 2-3 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 4-7 fresh, medium-to-large garden tomatoes (chopped into 3/4-inch cubes)
Note: Use either fresh minced or dried powder rosemary. (Do not use dried rosemary that has not been ground into a powder.)
Optional
- Fresh or dried basil, thyme, marjoram or Herbes de Provence (instead of oregano, sage, and rosemary)
- Canned (diced or crushed) organic tomatoes (instead of fresh)
Preparation
Place cubed eggplant in a colander and dust with as little salt as possible (but enough to extract some liquid from it), and set aside for about 20 minutes. Compress eggplant gently and rinse.
Meanwhile, sauté the onion, garlic, peppers, and herbs in olive and canola oils. Sauté for approximately 10 – 15 minutes.
Add eggplant and zucchini and sauté for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes (fresh and/or canned) and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Finish with Dijon and wine, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.