As a kid, when my Mom made ratatouille I’d suffer through it the first night, but I genuinely looked forward to when she served it, leftover, as an open-faced sandwich topped with melted cheese. It makes a great lunch or light dinner. ( I love today’s guest, Cathy Thomas, suggestion to sneak in a little spicy Italian sausage to make this a heartier meal!) Enjoy this recipe from Amy’s Table: Food for Family and Friends.

Serves 4 as a lunch or light entrée

Baguettes, split
Ratatouille, recipe follows
Thinly sliced Gruyere cheese to taste

Preheat broiler. Mound the ratatouille on each half of the split baguettes. Top with thinly sliced Gruyere. Broil until bubbly and brown. Serve.

Ratatouille
Serves 6-8 as a side dish

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: Can be made several days ahead; refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tip: Try leftover Ratatouille in an omelet, sprinkled with Feta cheese.

Up to ½ cup olive oil, as needed
1 eggplant, peeled if desired, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 summer squash, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 red onion, finely chopped
3 tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add eggplant; cook, stirring, until tender. Add a bit more oil to the pan; add zucchini, summer squash and onion; sauté 5 minutes. Add peppers and more oil as needed. Stir in chopped tomatoes, garlic and herbs; season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 15 minutes, or until mixture is heated through. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve: Serve warm, room temperature or chilled.