Bouquet Garni

CHICKEN SOUP

1 chicken, cut up
3 small onions, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 whole bay leaves
4 sprigs parsley
3 Tablespoons Bouquet Garni
1 tsp. chicken bouillon
1 quart tomatoes
vegetables of choice (fresh, frozen or dried)
salt and pepper to taste
1 can baked beans
1 cup rice or barley or 3 cups pasta

Put cut up chicken in a soup pot, cover with water.  Add onions, celery, bay leaves, parsley, 1 1/2 Tablespoons Bouquet Garni (in a fabric bag) and bouillon.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour.  Remove chicken from pot; allow to cool, them remove meat from bones.  Skim fat off top of the soup stock, remove bouquet garni in the mesh bag and parsley and discard.  Put another 1 1/2 Tablespoons bouquet garni in a mesh bag and put in pot.  Return chicken meat to pot, add tomatoes, vegetables and salt and pepper to taste.  In the last half hour of cooking remove fabric bag and whole bay leaves.  Add 1 can baked beans and rice, barley or noodles.  Cook until done.

RATATOUILLE

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small eggplant, cubed
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 green pepper, cut in strips
2 tomatoes, peeled and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon Bouquet Garni (in cheesecloth or a fabric bag)
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

Heat oil in a 3 quart saucepan or Dutch oven.  Sauté onion and garlic.  Add eggplant, zucchini, green pepper, tomatoes and all the seasonings.  Cover and simmer 30 minutes.  Stir and simmer uncovered 10 minutes longer.  Serve warm.