Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a traditional French vegetable stew from Provence, particularly associated with the city of Nice and its surrounding countryside, developed as a way for rural households to use surplus summer produce. It is made from tomatoes, onions, garlic, courgettes, aubergines and bell peppers, seasoned with herbs such as basil, marjoram, fennel, thyme and bay leaves. The culinary authority Larousse Gastronomique recommends cooking the vegetables separately before combining them and simmering slowly until they reach a smooth, creamy consistency, though household methods vary widely. Although vegetable stews existed earlier in Provence, no fully developed recipe recognizable as the modern dish appears in print before the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, with the now-standard recipe emerging around 1930.