Eggplant, Zucchini and Red Pepper Stew

I have a co-worker who makes fabulous creations. She brought this into work one day and I had to have the recipe. Most of her creations are ad hoc, so extracting a "recipe" from her took some work, but it came out most satisfactory.

Okay, for my first recipe stew may seem a little boring. But it is winter so I'm all about the soups and stews right now. If you're looking for a hearty comfort food you found it. As I made it it is loaded with olive oil, as you might detect from the picture. It can be made with more or less olive oil depending on your preferences.

Prep/cook time: 3 hours

Serves 6-8

olive oil as necessary

salt as necessary
2 large eggplant or 4 Japanese eggplant

2 small onions or 1 large onion, chopped

2-4 cloves of garlic, pressed or diced

2 zucchini, chopped

1 small jar red peppers, juice and all

2 fresh tomatoes or 1 small can of diced tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato paste

about 8-10 cups water

two handfuls fresh basil or 1 tbsp dried basil, diced

1 tbsp oregano

1 bunch of kale, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit or if you would prefer to grill the eggplant fire up the grill. Slice the eggplant about 1/4 inch thick (into circles if using the big eggplant or lengthwise if using the Japanese). Coat generously with salt and set in a colander for 30 minutes to drain out the bitter juices. Rinse thoroughly, pat dry, and generously brush with olive oil. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or grill about 6 minutes per side.

While the eggplant is cooking chop and saute the onions in 1-2 tbsp olive oil for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the zucchini. Chop the red peppers and add them along with their juice to the stew. Chop the tomatoes and add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the water, basil, oregano, eggplant and kale. Cook for 30-60 minutes, until the vegetables (particularly the zucchini, tomatoes and kale) are desired tenderness. Enjoy with hearty bread.