Common Ingredients

• Ratatouille contains several common ingredients that give it a customary taste and mouthfeel. These include olive oil, eggplant, zucchini, red and green peppers, onions, garlic and tomatoes. Mushrooms aren't unusual, and balsamic vinegar and white wine help give the stew character. All of these ingredients work well in a slow cooker. All of the flavors come together, creating the ratatouille, but they retain their texture even when cooked slowly.

A Tasty Head Start

• Although chopping up your ingredients and placing them raw into the slow cooker gets the job done, if you have time you may want to add a step for extra flavor in the finished ratatouille: Saute a few of the vegetables briefly in olive oil before sending them to the slow cooker. Onions, garlic, peppers, zucchini and eggplant form a golden crust when sauteed on high for a few minutes. You could instead grill these vegetables for a smokier flavor. Don't worry about the inside of the vegetables cooking, because they have ample time to soften in the slow cooker.

Low and Slow

• As you prepare, chop and saute the vegetables to make your ratatouille, turn the slow cooker to the low setting so that it can preheat. Once all the vegetables have been prepped, transfer them to the slow cooker, add any extras like wine or herbs and then mix them together well. Place the cover on the slow cooker and let the ratatouille cook for 3 to 4 hours. You can remove the lid and give it a stir once or twice during the cooking time, if you are home, but it isn't necessary. During the last 20 minutes or so, you can turn the heat to high and mix in a slurry made from cornstarch and cold water to thicken the liquid, if desired.

Custom Variations

• Although most ratatouilles use the same basic flavors, this is a highly individualized dish, so feel free to customize according to your culinary preferences. Add potatoes, basil pesto, chopped green onion, black olives or even black beans. Fresh herbs like oregano, thyme or rosemary can be added at the end or as a garnish.