Ratatouille with cheese

Serves 4

• 1 lb courgetes

• 4 large onions

• 2 tablespoons oil

• 1 (15 oz) tin tomatoes

• salt and freshly milled pepper

• 1 level teaspoon castor sugar

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

• 2-3 oz (or 2-3 heaped tablespoons) grated cheddar cheese

Ratatouille is a delicious vegetable stew. To make it you will need a chopping board, a kitchen knife, a vegetable peeler and a can opener. Find a medium-sized frying pan with a lid for cooking the ratatouille and put a dish for serving to warm.

        Wash the courgetes, trim them and then slice about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick. Peel and slice the onions.

        Heat the oil in a medium-sliced frying pan and add the onions. Keep the heat low and very gently fry the onions for about 5 minutes or until they have softened. Add the courgetes, the tomatoes along with the juice from the tin, a seasoning of salt and pepper, the sugar (this counteracts the acid taste of the tomatoes) and the bay leaf. Cover the pan with a lid and let the vegetables simmer gently for 30 minutes.

        Remove the pan lid towards the end of the cooking time to allow any excess liquid to evaporate. Discard the bay leaf and transfer the ratatouille to a warm serving dish. Sprinkle with the parsley end serve the grated cheese separately. Each person should sprinkle his own cheese. Ratatouille is nice with crusty bread, or you can serve it with something plain like an omelet.