kitchen sink ragout

You've heard the story "Stone Soup" where two vagabonds outwit the villagers into producing them a meal. It turns out to be a win/win as the stone soup is enhanced and enjoyed by all.  My last picking of the garden took a bath together and too puny to be served singly ended up in the stock pot together.

Here's the basic recipe for my kitchen sink ragout:

Saute 3 cloves of chopped garlic and one medium chopped onion till lightly browned in enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a large pot.  Stir in 2 cups of chopped zucchini, 2 cups of chopped eggplant, 2 chopped and seeded mild sweet peppers of your choice and cook until tender.  Remove the vegetables from the pan and reserve in a bowl.  Add another tablespoon or so of olive oil and saute a cup of sliced mushrooms (I added frozen hen of the woods) from last autumn.  Add 2 cups of chopped fresh tomatoes or substitute with a large can of fire roasted tomatoes.  Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until the tomatoes thicken.  You can add in a third to a half cup of red wine or dark beer. I used CutThroat Porter by O'Dell Brewing.  Add back the reserved cooked vegetables to the pot with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in a good half cup of fresh snipped basil and or thyme.  Serve over noodles or smashed potatoes.  Share it with the village.