Tomato and Vegetable Mix (Pisto Manchego)

Posted for ZWT5 from http://www.euroresidentes.com. Pisto manchego is similar to ratatouille. It can be served warm to accompany a main dish or cold as a starter or to accompany a salad. The site suggests making a sandwich of baguette, Spanish omelet, and Pisto manchego-served warm or cold. Sounds good to me. Pisto can be used as a filling for sandwiches, savoury crepes, empanadillas or little puffed pastry pies or even as a pasta sauce. Pisto manchego freezes well, so you can make a big batch and use as required. This is an easy recipe for a traditional Spanish dish which originally came from Castilla la Mancha (hence it's name, Pisto Manchego) but is nowadays a favorite simple dish cooked and served all over Spain. If you want to add basil or oregano, the site suggests trying it. I am guessing at the number of servings as it does not say and it really depends upon whether you use it as a condiment or not.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 4  tomatoes
• 2  medium onions
• 3  garlic cloves
• 2  green peppers
• 1  red pepper
• 2  courgettes
• 2  tablespoons olive oil, add more if necessary
• 1  teaspoon sugar
•  salt, to taste
•  pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Boil some water.
2. Dip the tomatoes in boiling water to loosen the skin, then peel them and cut them in to small pieces.
3. Peel and slice the onions and garlic.
4. Clean and slice the peppers and courgettes.
5. Put the olive oil into a frying pan, and gently fry the garlic and onions for 2 to 3 minutes on medium low heat.
6. Add the peppers and turn up the heat to medium.
7. Cook for five minutes, stirring all the time.
8. Add the courgette, stir and cook for five more minutes and then add the tomatoes.
9. Cover the pan, and simmer for about 15 minutes.
10. Add a teaspoon of sugar; salt and pepper to taste.
11. Turn up the heat and stir well.
12. If the pisto has too much liquid, let it boil away but keep stirring so that none of the ingredients stick to the bottom.