Traditional Ratatouille is a famous French vegetable stew made in autumn when the main ingredients (eggplant, zucchini/courgette, capsicum, tomatoes) are plentiful. Purists would make it exactly to the traditional recipe but there are many variations now that people call ratatouille, even versions baked in the oven rather than as a stew. I like to stay true to the original vegetable stew concept but add whatever vegetables I happen to have, such as green beans. Some recipes sauté the … [Read more...]
Tomato & Capsicum Soup
Adding capsicum to tomato soup adds extra body and sweetness. I grill and skin capsicums when they are plentiful and freeze them in small bags of one or two so that they are easy to add to tomato soups (or to hummus - another favourite). In summer I boil tomatoes until they are soft and remove the skins. You can put everything through a sieve and remove the seeds as well or just skim out the skins with a slotted spoon. Then I boil until the tomatoes are reduced down to a thick soup before … [Read more...]