Recipe: Poor Man's Ratatouille

In fact, this might more accurately be described as 'lazy' ratatouille, since it leaves out only a few of the ingredients from the classic version, but omits quite a few of the step from my preferred approach, and thus takes less than half the time. The introduction of Orange rind towards the end takes it in a noticeably different direction from the provencal flavours of the original; if this particular divergence offends, you can just leave it out....

For four, as a side serving.

Ingredients: 1 large Aubergine; 2 medium Courgettes; quarter of a cup of Olive Oil; 1 medium clove of Garlic, peeled and finely chopped; 1 medium White Onion , diced; 5 or 6 Spring onions, sliced thinly; 4 Plum Tomatoes, roughly chopped; 4 sprigs of Thyme; 2 sprigs of Rosemary; 1 Bay Leaf; grated rind of one medium Orange; half a cup of chopped Basil leaves.

Method:

1. Cut the Courgettes and Aubergine into half inch cubes; heat the Oil in a large pan, and once it is very hot, sear the cubed vegetables for three to four minutes, until lightly browned all over. Add Garlic, Onion and Spring Onion, and continue cooking, stirring continuously, for a further five minutes.

2. Add Tomatoes, herbs(apart from the chopped Basil) and Orange rind; reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring, for about ten minutes more.

3. Remove the Bay Leaf, stir in the Basil, and correct the seasoning. Stir thoroughly, and keep warm until ready to serve.