Aw, ratatouille, the French classic. Someone in my family, who shall remain anonymous, thought ratatouille was Italian. Oh, la vache!

No, ratatouille is a classic Provencal French vegetable stew recipe. The word ratatouille is derived from the Occitan term “ratatolha” and the French words “rata” meaning chunky stew and “touiller” which means to toss food or stir up.

This recipe takes the “stew” out of it and is visually pleasing with all the components showing off their beautiful colors and textures.