

Slow-Cooker Ratatouille. (Deb Lindsey/For The Washington Post)

I have often been conflicted about ratatouille. Not about eating it, because that is an undisputed pleasure, but about cooking it. On the one hand, making the classic Provençal stew of tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and peppers is an easy way to transform those vegetables, which are at their bountiful peak in August, into comfort food that captures and concentrates the flavors of the season. Then again, it’s the middle of summer, for goodness’ sake; who wants to be in the kitchen cooking stew?

The simple solution, it turns out, is the slow-cooker. The countertop appliance allows you to breezily toss the vegetables together (with thyme and a luxurious coating of olive oil and tomato paste), plug it in and leave. When you return several hours later, you just need to uncover it so it can thicken a bit, and before you know it, you have a sumptuous, herb-infused, soft (but not mushy!) medley of vegetables that is ready to be eaten as a side dish for grilled poultry or meat, as a bed for a fish fillet, on a sandwich, or perhaps over toast with an egg on top.

It is delicious warm or at room temperature, and it not only keeps in the refrigerator for several days but also freezes well, so you can preserve the essence of summer, conflict-free, throughout the year.

food@washpost.com