Sorry this post is so late. My computer was dead, dead again this morning, so another flying trip to the Apple Genius Bar was required. Everything is fixed for the moment, so here’s the recipe Hiram and I field tested yesterday. It turned out to be a triple hit, falling into the oh-good-another-recipe-with-lots-of-garden-vegetables and the yahoo-another-recipe-where-eggplant-doesn’t-taste-like-cardboard and the miracle-of-miracles-it-uses-zucchini-too categories. Best of all, Hiram and I both liked it enough to make it again!

With all those qualifications, the only thing left to do is give credit to the Cook Smart column in the US Weekend Magazine which came in Sunday’s paper. The original recipe called for 8 medium, boneless chicken thighs. But my version reflects what was on hand at our house.

Chicken Stew with Ratatouille Veggies

Veggies:
1 medium eggplant, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large sweet onion, coarsely chopped
1 sweet pepper (red, yellow, whatever) cut into 1 inch pieces
2 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
12 peeled, halved garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons dried thyme
salt and ground black pepper
2 cups cherry tomatoes

Adjust oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine all vegetables except tomatoes in large bowl. Add olive oil, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat. Turn vegetables onto a large, rimmed baking sheet. Roast veggies until golden brown on the bottom, about 20 minutes.

Remove pan from oven. Add tomatoes and stir mixture. Continue to roast until tomatoes have started to release their juices, about 15 minutes. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. This can be refrigerated up to 5 days.

Stew:
2 cups roasted ratatouille
2 large chicken breasts, cut into fourths
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
12 coarsely chopped, pitted, kalamata olives
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh basil leaves

Drizzle chicken with oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute, turning only once, until golden brown on both sides, about 7-8 minutes per side. Add wine and reduce by half. Add broth, ratatouille, and olives. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, about 10 minutes, until thick stew consistency. Stir in basil and serve.

Note: This recipe won’t use all the veggies roasted. Tonight, I’m topping toasted bagels with pesto, ratatouille, and mozzarella cheese, then broiling them until the cheese bubbles. Hope it tastes as good as it sounds!