Aubergines are back! The veg box this week had a gorgeous chubby purple one in there and I’m making ratatouille, one of my favourite dishes. Simple to make, colourful, bursting with goodness and flavour - I serve it with sausages and mash, on pasta or with brown rice and crumbled feta on top.

Ingredients
(slightly simplified) From Delia Smith’s essential kitchen classic Complete Cookery Course

1 plump aubergine
1 large or 2 small courgettes
1 bigish onion
1 red/yellow or green pepper (or 2 if you have them)
1 tin whole toms
1 fat clove of garlic
Splash red wine or tablespoon of baslamic vinegar
Tablespoon or 2 of Basil, olive oil, S&P

Serves 2 very well

1 Chop up the onion roughly and fry gently in olive oil for 10 minutes
2 Chop (and de-seed) the pepper into medium chunks, add to pan
3 Chop aubergine and courgette (Delia says to salt and drain but I’ve never thought it necessary) and add to the pan, stir once, S&P and simmer gently, covered for 30mins
4 Add wine vinegar to pan and stir. Crush garlic and add to pan, stir. Drain toms and add to pan, stir. Chop basil and add to pan, stir
5 Simmer uncovered for another 15 minutes, serve with any of the above, even nicer if you let it sit overnight and reheat