This recipe is incredibly versatile and colorful; oven roasting the vegetables helps them keep their shape and intensifies their flavor with a hint of toastiness, unlike a traditional ratatouille that’s usually swamped in a tomato sauce.

You can use it in omelets or frittatas; it’s a perfect side dish for almost any grilled or roasted chicken, meat or fish; try it served over quinoa; with pasta (I like to add soft goat cheese and chopped kalamata olives) …and so-on.

It’s best served warm or at room temp and keeps well in the fridge for a few days, covered.

OVEN ROASTED RATATOUILLE

(Serves 4-6 as a side)

Ingredients:

1 lb (450g) of cherry tomatoes, skinned

1 small eggplant/aubergine

2 medium sized zucchini/courgettes

1 small to medium red pepper, seeded and cut into 1 inch (2.5cm) squares

1 small to medium yellow pepper, seeded and cut into 1 inch (2.5cm) squares

1 large red onion, peeled, root trimmed and cut into 1 inch (2.5cm) slices, with a bit of root still attached, to hold them together

2 large cloves of garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

A good handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly torn

Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper

Action:

Oven temp 475F (240C)

Start by cutting the eggplant/aubergine and zucchini/courgettes into 1 inch (2.5cm) chunks.

Toss them in a heaped teaspoon of salt and pile into a strainer. Put a plate on top with a weight to press down and leave them in the sink to drain for 30-40 mins. This extracts excess moisture and any bitterness.

Rinse and pat dry in a towel.

Skin the tomatoes by cutting a tiny ‘x’ in the end and pouring boiling water over. After 1 minute, drain and slip the skins off.

Combine everything in a large bowl, season and give it a good toss to make sure the oil coats all the pieces.

Spread the vegetables in a shallow roasting tray and place on a high shelf in the pre-heated oven for 30-40 minutes.

Check on them at least once and stir everything around a bit. You want the edges to have a nice brown tinge here and there.

Serve hot, warm, or at room temp.

(A Delia Smith recipe)