Romanian Ratatouille

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 50 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 lbs eggplants
• 2 1/4 lbs fresh ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill
• 2 onions
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3/4 lb leek, white part only
• 3 scallions
• 1 green pepper
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 slices lemon zest

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 325°f
• 2 cut the eggplant into large dice, sprinkle lightly with salt and set aside for at least half an hour, then rinse and squeeze out excess moisture.
• 3 meanwhile, plunge the tomatoes into boiling water, then rapidly into cold. skin and chop them.
• 4 roughly chop the fresh herbs, onion, garlic, white of leek, scallions and green pepper.
• 5 soften the chopped onion and garlic in half the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. add the eggplant, leeks, green pepper, dill and half the parsley, and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly.
• 6 add the bay leaves, tomatoes, lemon zest, tomato paste and sugar and stir again. pour over the remaining oil and transfer, if necessary, to an ovenproof casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid.
• 7 cook in the oven, tightly covered, for 11/2 hours or until perfectly tender. this magnificent vegetable mixture can be served hot, garnished with the remaining herbs, but it shows off its flavours best when cold.
• 8 try it with cold chicken or turkey, or warm cornbread.