Ratatouille

1 medium to large eggplant*
Salt, enough to soften eggplant
1 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
5 zucchini, sliced thin into discs
2 bell peppers (any color), chopped coarse pieces
1/2 cup green olives
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce (or 1 can of chopped tomatoes)
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons tarragon
1 tablespoon black pepper
1-2 teaspoon Tabasco (or dried red pepper), to taste
Water, as needed
Salt, to taste

Cut up eggplant into cubes or carrot-stick shapes. Leave the skin on. Place eggplant in bowl and sprinkle heavily with salt. The eggplant will release its water and seeds over 1-2 hours. Squeeze out fluid and seeds by hand. Rinse eggplant with fresh water and then squeeze. Eggplant will be greatly reduced in volume.
Cut up zucchini, green peppers, and mushrooms as desired. Place these along with eggplant into a large, Dutch-oven pan. Add all liquid ingredients, as well as bay leaves, tarragon, black pepper and red pepper. Bring to boil, turn down heat, and then simmer for 30-40 minutes until zucchini are softened. The liquid will have condensed into a stock by this process, but add water as needed to keep mixture cooking. Add salt, if needed, only at the end.

Note: I made this spicy, but I could have used less of the red pepper.

* Prefer thin “male” plant without seeds if available