Instructions: Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed, medium-sized saucepan. Add the garlic and saute until translucent. Add the eggplant, zucchini, onion, and bell pepper and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are slightly soft, 10 or 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are well mixed and the tomatoes begin to dissolve, 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for an additional 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the mixture from the heat and let cool for 5 or 10 minutes. Add the entire contents of the saucepan to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Return the mixture to the saucepan and add as much of the chicken stock as needed to create a mixture with the consistency of a thick pea soup. The amount of stock needed will depend upon the juiciness of your tomatoes. Add the salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring the mixture to just below a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and swirl in the cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Serve the soup hot garnished with croutons and thin slivers of pepper.

This recipe serves 4 to 6.

Comments: Out of the high summer garden come the purple and lavender eggplants, colorful peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini that are the basis for ratatouille, the classic vegetable stew of a Provence summer. In this variation, the ratatouille is coarsely chopped or pureed and then mixed with chicken stock and a bit of cream to transform it from a stew into a soup. Big, golden herb-flecked croutons go on top, where they immediately begin to soak up the summer flavors. Serve extra croutons in a separate bowl; they will disappear quickly.

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