An extremely, flavorful and colorful French vegetable stew, which my grandmother and Mom taught me to make. It's a great meal by itself with salad and French bread or as a side dish with broiled fish, shellfish or poultry.

2 1/2 c. diced eggplant, peeled, sliced and salted (salt gets rid of excess moisture, blot dry)
1/3 c. olive oil
1 c. thinly sliced onion
3 cloves garlic
4 med. julienned green peppers, seeds and membrane removed
3 c. sliced zucchini
2 c. fresh ripe skinned and quartered tomatoes
1/2 c. whole black olives, drained
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

I use 2 green, 1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper for a more colorful mix.

The French or small Greek variety of olive are most flavorful.

Put olive oil in deep skillet, saute until golden onions and garlic. Add peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, olives and eggplant. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes. Add the spices and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to heat for 15-20 minutes longer to reduce the amount of liquid. Can be served hot or cold.