Colourful, tasty vegetable dish in Michael Smith’s new cookbook

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This article was published 04/09/2014 (4080 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Michael Smith, the TV chef who put Prince Edward Island foods on his map and encouraged us all to eat locally and seasonally, has done it again. His latest cookbook, Michael Smith Family Meals (Penguin, $32), is a tempting collection of easy dishes. The new book has 100 recipes, including this colourful and tasty vegetable dish.

Basil Ratatouille

2 zucchini

1 eggplant

2 red bell peppers

1 red onion

1 pint (474 g) cherry tomatoes, halved

Cloves from 1 head of garlic, halved

1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil

1 tsp (5 ml) salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 bunches fresh basil, leaves torn

Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). Turn on convection fan, if you have one.

Quarter the zucchini lengthwise, then cut into cubes. Cut cubes of eggplant, bell peppers and onion the same size as the zucchini.

In a wide baking dish or roasting pan, combine all the vegetables except for the eggplant with the tomatoes and garlic and toss with the oil, salt and generous amounts of pepper. Then add the eggplant (if you add it at the beginning, it absorbs too much oil) and toss again. Spread mixture evenly in the dish or pan.

Roast for one hour, stirring briefly after 30 minutes and again after 45 minutes.

Serve at once or let stand to serve later, lukewarm.

Just before serving, scatter with the basil.

— Postmedia News