Ratatouille Braised Kale and Beans

It's August and we had a bunch of veggies from the garden to use up. If you don't have a garden, that's no problem at all. The fresh tomatoes and basil definitely add to the flavor of this dish. If you don't have fresh, you can use canned or dried herbs but it will definitely taste a bit different.

I have also tried substituting the kale for spinach and it's just as good and I'd highly recommend doing what you prefer with those. There are a lot of substitutions that you can use if you'd like to make this vegan, specifically you can take out the parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

• 5 Tomatoes (or a 32 oz can of crushed tomatoes)

• 2 zucchinis

• 1 16oz can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed.

• 1 small sweet onion

• 1 clove of garlic minced

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 2 cups of kale, chopped.

• 1 tsp of Italian seasoning

• Fresh Basil ~ 10 leaves

• Fresh Grated Parmesan

• Salt & Pepper to taste

• Pinch of sugar

Instructions

1. Prep all your veggies:

   1. Grate your tomatoes or if you're using a can of crushed tomatoes, you can skip this part. Add salt and pepper to taste. If desired, add a pinch of sugar.

   2. Dice your onion and zucchinis into small 1/2 chunks

   3. Mince the garlic

   4. Pick the kale leaves off the stems and chop leaves into smaller bite-sized pieces. Discard the stems or save them for stocks/compost.

   5. Stack the basil leaves, roll them up, and slice into ribbons.

2. Pre-heat a large pot on medium heat, once pre-heated add a drizzle of oil. Add the zucchini and onion to the pot and cook until softened and the onions are translucent. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Make a small circle in the pot and add the tomato paste to the center. Heat until the paste starts to darken a brick red color. Add in minced garlic.

4. Add in grated (or canned) tomatoes and the rinsed beans. Add in 1/2 cup of water and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for about 5-10 minutes, until sauce starts to thicken up.

5. Once sauce has thickened a little, add in chopped kale and another 1/4 cup of water if needed. Continue to simmer for another 5-10 minutes, until the kale is wilted and cooked down.

6. Add in grated parmesan and half of your fresh basil and mix in.

7. Serve in bowls and add more grated parmesan and garnish with more basil ribbons, if desired.