Tuscan Summer Vegetable Stew Gurguglione Di Elba - tomatoes

Method

• With a sharp knife, score a cross into the bottoms of the tomatoes and blanch them by placing them in a pot of simmering water for about 30 seconds. Remove and place immediately in a bowl of cold water. When tomatoes are cool enough to handle, their skins should peel off easily. Quarter the tomatoes, remove their seeds, then dice the rest of the flesh and set aside.
• Dice the rest of the cleaned vegetables except for the zucchini into cubes about 1/2-inch (1 to 1 1/2 centimeters) wide and set aside. Slice the zucchini into thin circles. In a deep skillet (non-stick or enamel work well here) large enough to hold all the vegetables, heat some olive oil over low-medium heat in a deep skillet and begin cooking the diced potatoes. Cover and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally and checking to make sure they are not browning or getting stuck-they should remain relatively pale.
• Add the onion along with a good pinch of salt, stir, and then let cook, covered, a minute or two more before adding the eggplant. Stir, and cover again, cooking an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the peppers and the zucchini, cover and let cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Finally, add the tomatoes. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down and the vegetables are cooked evenly. If you need to at any point (if you notice the vegetables sticking, for example), you can add a splash of water, but in general you should not need to do this. Before serving, add torn basil and season with salt and pepper.