Go ahead and add a French accent to your weekly menu with this warming Provencal classic. Tomato-y, rustic ratatouille is a vegetarian favourite, especially when served atop a bed of creamy, lemony polenta. It's simple perfection and you definitely don't need a cartoon rat tugging on your hair to make it happen. Bon appetit!
Preheat oven to 220°C fan-forced. Chop eggplant and capsicum into 2cm pieces. Peel and thinly slice eschalot.
Place eggplant, capsicum and eschalot in a lined baking tray and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with Italian kitchen herbs, ½ teaspoon salt flakes and pepper and toss to coat. Roast for 17–20 minutes or until vegetables are slightly charred and softened.
Peel and crush garlic. Slice zucchini into rounds. Dissolve stock cube in ½ cup (125ml) boiling water. Add garlic, zucchini, sugar, cherry tomatoes and stock to eggplant mixture, stir to combine and cook for a further 10 minutes or until bubbling and zucchini is tender.
Carefully remove baking tray from oven. Add red wine vinegar to ratatouille and stir to combine. Top with goat's cheese and roast for a further 6–7 minutes or until cheese has softened. While ratatouille is baking, continue with step 5.
Zest lemon. Place milk, lemon zest and 250ml (1 cup) water in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to just below the boil. Reduce heat to low and pour in polenta in a steady stream, whisking constantly for 1 minute or until thickened. Season with ¼ teaspoon sea salt and cracked black pepper.
Cut lemon into wedges. Remove ratatouille from oven and allow to cool slightly. Divide lemon polenta between bowls and top with ratatouille. Serve with lemon wedges.