Slow Cooker Ratatouille

Different people have different ideas of what ratatouille is and isn’t. It can be as beautiful as strategically arranged roasted slices of different summer vegetables on an platter. Or, as is the case in our kitchen, it’s a rich, colorful, chunky vegetable soup.

The reasons why we prefer the soup version: the flavor melding that happens when everything is submerged in broth is undeniable. It freezes well for later use. It’s less precise and tedious to make. It makes for great leftovers, sometimes even better than the first serving. It becomes more of a main dish, especially with meat stock used.

Regardless of which ratatouille camp you land in, September is prime time for ratatouille making. When you get used to eating a local diet every year, it comes a tradition that you look forward to once your freezer stash is gone.

Here we’d like to share a recipe with credit to Fairshare Coalition’s Farm Fresh and Fast cookbook - they gave the idea of making this with a crockpot, which fast tracks the whole operation for folks short on time. It also saves energy and keeps your kitchen cool during the final days of the Indian summer. You can be flexible with the vegetables, depending on the quantity you have. You can omit some, or add others like fresh sweet corn or carrots. If you feel like it, though, try roasting the veggies before making the soup. The flavor of roasted veg is exquisite. However, I found it super delicious after cooking in the crock for 5 hours as well.

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Slow Cooker Ratatouille

Yield: 8-10

Author: Roxanne of Winterspring Farm

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 5 HourInactive time: 5 HourTotal time: 10 H & 30 M

Main dish-worthy, this rich, easy to make, and super veggie-loaded recipe is one that we look forward to every year. Freezes well too! Ingredients amounts can be flexible with what's available.

Ingredients

Slow Cooker Ratatouille

• 1 cup tomatoes
• 1 cup eggplant
• 1 cup zucchini
• 1 cup onion
• 1 cup sweet pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs (oregano, thyme, sweet marjoram)
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 quart turkey, chicken, or vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons sea salt

Instructions

1. Prepare vegetables by chopping each into 1 inch pieces. Slice the garlic into thin rounds.
2. Load the crockpot with the vegetables, add the herbs, salt, and stock, and set to "low".
3. Let cook for 5 hours.
4. Optional: garnish with fresh herbs like basil or cilantro, sour cream, or parmesan.
5. Serve with buttered crusty bread, or over pasta or rice.

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