Ratatouille

In a Dutch oven, saute the onions and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until they're tender. Reduce the heat to low.

In a large skillet, add the remaining oil and saute the eggplant, zucchini, squash and peppers in batches until they're lightly browned, adding each batch of vegetables to the Dutch oven with the onions and garlic. Editor's Tip: Use a 12-inch straight-sided sauce pan (aka a saucier pan) like this Le Creuset Everyday Pan. This gives you more surface area and help to reduce the liquid.

Add the stock, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper to the Dutch oven, and stir everything to combine. Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Editor's Tip: Replace 1/4 cup of the vegetable stock with a dry white wine for even more flavor.

Meanwhile, fill a large saucepan two-thirds with water and bring it to a boil. Score an "X" on the bottom of each tomato. Using a slotted spoon, place the tomatoes in the boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds. Remove the tomatoes and immediately plunge them into ice water. Peel the tomatoes and discard the skins. Coarsely chop the tomatoes. Editor's Tip: Blanching tomatoes is an easy way to remove the skins, but it's not the only way. Here's a guide on how to peel tomatoes for ratatouille or any recipe.

Drain the vegetable mixture while reserving the juices. Remove vegetables from the pan and set aside. Return the juices to the Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Cook until thickened, about five minutes.

Return the vegetables to the Dutch oven. Stir in the tomatoes and mix well to combine everything together. Discard the bay leaf before serving.