This recipe will help you use up some of your garden's late summer abundance. Yes, it has a French name and a complicated one at that. But this is very, very easy to make and delicious too. It also freezes superbly. You can call it "Glorious Glop" if you prefer that to "Ratatouille"! It can be served as a main dish over polenta, or over pasta, or just with a wholewheat roll and a hunk of cheese, or as a vegetable sidedish.

Buon appetit!

RATATOUILLE (serves 6 as a sidedish and 4 as a main dish)

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup sliced onion
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 green (or red or yellow) bell peppers, cut into chunks
• 2 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash (or one of each), cut in chunks
• 1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 28 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes, or an equivalent amount of fresh tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (or water)
• 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon black pepper (or dried nasturtium seeds!) ;-)
• 2 Tablespoons (or more) shredded fresh basil

Heat oil in large saucepan or wok. Add onions and saute until golden. Add everything else except the fresh basil. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover and cook (at least) 10 minutes more until the liquid is reduced by half and the vegetables are amalgamated together into a really thick and chunky sauce. Remove from heat and add the shredded fresh basil. Serve warm. It's nice to have a little grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top after dishing out the ratatouille.