SUMMER VEGETABLE RATATOUILLE

After it has been boiled for 10 minutes, serve this savory blend of summer vegetables hot, cold, or at room temperature as a side, pasta sauce, or with bread as an appetizer.

PREP: 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES PROCESS: 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES MAKES: 6 PINTS PHOTO

¼ cup olive oil
2 medium sweet onions, coarsely chopped (3 cups)
1 to 1½ pounds eggplant, peeled if desired and coarsely chopped (6 cups)
4 large red sweet peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped (4 cups)
2½ to 3 pounds tomatoes, peeled and chopped (6 cups)
1 tablespoon snipped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon snipped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup snipped fresh basil
½ cup snipped fresh parsley
¼ cup bottled lemon juice or red wine vinegar

1. In an 8- to 10-quart heavy pot heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook about 10 minutes or until onions are just tender, stirring occasionally. Add eggplant and sweet peppers; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until eggplant and peppers just begin to soften. Add the tomatoes, rosemary, oregano, thyme, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Bring to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring often; reduce heat. Cover and boil gently for 5 minutes. Stir in basil, parsley, and lemon juice.

2. Ladle hot vegetable mixture into hot sterilized pint canning jars, leaving a 1-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims; adjust lids and screw bands.

3. Process filled jars in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure for a weighted-gauge canner or 11 pounds pressure for a dial-gauge canner for 75 minutes (start timing when canner reaches 10 or 11 pounds pressure), adjusting for altitude. Allow pressure to come down naturally. Carefully remove canner lid; cool jars in canner for 10 minutes. Remove jars from canner; cool on wire racks. Check lids for seal after 24 hours.

4. To serve, place contents of one jar in a small saucepan. Bring to a rapid boil. Boil, covered, for 10 minutes (add 1 additional minute for each additional 1,000 feet of elevation).

PER ½ CUP: 62 cal., 3 g fat (0 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 239 mg sodium, 8 g carb., 3 g fiber, 1 g pro.

SUMMER SQUASH CAVEAT

Traditional ratatouille is a combination of eggplant, tomatoes, onions, sweet peppers, zucchini, garlic, and herbs simmered in olive oil. This version doesn’t include the zucchini; the most recent canning research cannot confirm safe processing times. Zucchini and yellow squash—both low-acid vegetables—can safely be pickled and processed in a water-bath canner.