Cretan Briam

We tried to imitate a lovely dish we had in a Cretan restaurant: a soft and smooth vegetable stew with tomatoes and a hint of cinnamon.

a medium aubergine (chunks)

a large courgette (chunks)

a large pepper (chunks)

3-4 medium potatoes (sliced)

a large onion (sliced)

3 cloves garlic (sliced)

a few glugs olive oil

2 tins tomatoes

tomato puree

splash of water

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cinnamon

salt

pepper

- Mix all the ingredients expect for the potatoes in a big bowl. Oil a big casserole dish and put the vegetable mix in it. Place the potatoes on top, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and cover.

- Bake at 170 degrees for about 2 hours until the vegetables are very soft.

Ratatouille

olive oil (for frying)

2 peppers (chunks)

2 courgettes (chunks)

aubergine (chunks)

onion (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)

red haricot beans (soaked and boiled with a bay leaf and some salt)

tin tomatoes/pasata

dried basil

salt

white pepper

black pepper

fresh oregano

- Sweat the onion on a low heat with the lid on, add the garlic and basil and fry for a couple of minutes.

- Add the vegetables and turn up the heat to medium, keep the lid on and stir occasionally until the vegetables are cooked but still firm to the bite.

- Add the tomatoes, a little salt and a pinch of black pepper and simmer for half an hour, then stir through the beans and warm them in the mixture. Season to taste and garnish with fresh oregano.