Ratatouille

One of the most delicious and savory vegetable recipes from Provence is ratatouille. With its emphasis on fresh vegetables from the garden, traditional French ratatouille recipes are easily envisioned as a farmer's or gardener's lunch. Ratatouille is a hearty vegetable stew made with garlic and flavorful herbs. The dish is made in durable earthenware and contains chopped tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and onions that have been cooked for up to two hours with herbs including parsley and thyme.

Ratatouille can be served as the main meal or with fish and meat dishes when it's time to dine. A steaming dish of ratatouille is comforting and fragrant during the blustery winters in Provence. For a cooling lunch or dinner during the hot summer months, it can be served chilled with a sprinkle of reviving delicate herbs. This meal is made into a tian when it is spiraled and dusted with cheese and/or breadcrumbs.