Ratatouille gratin

A few weeks ago, Dana Velden wrote a beautiful post about using up all the bits of vegetables she had in her kitchen.  Today, her meditation inspired me to do the same.

A small eggplant, onions, a can of diced tomatoes, and an end piece of Comté is what I had in my fridge and pantry.  The onion, tomatoes, and cheese are staples; I bought the eggplant for Saturday's dinner, but didn't use it.  Today I decided not to do a daily shopping, but instead, use up these bits I had in my kitchen.  Maybe my recipe will inspire you the way Dana's post inspired me.

I heated some olive oil in my braiser, rough chopped the onions, added them to the oil, and let them brown.  I diced the eggplant, added it to the onion, and let it brown slightly.  Next, I added a can of diced tomatoes, seasonings, and let the whole mixture cook until the juices started to thicken.  I placed the mixture into a small gratin dish, topped it with the cheese, and baked it in a 350 oven until the mixture was bubbly and the cheese was crusty.

The addition of the cheese, and the baking, changed it from a traditional ratatouille to a satisfying gratin, perfect comfort food; a glass of wine and bread turned it into a feast.

I love being inspired in the kitchen, and find some of my most satisfying meals are created when "using it all up."