Instructions: Cut the onions, tomatoes, zucchini and potatoes into 1-inch cubes.

In a large saucepan, cook the onions in the oil over medium heat until tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes, zucchini and potatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are very tender, 30 minutes. Add a little water if the mixture seems dry.

When the ciambotta is done, remove it from the heat and stir in the basil. Serve hot or at room temperature.

This recipe yields 4 to 6 servings.

Comments: Ciambotta is a member of that hard-to-define category of Italian foods known as minestre, generally somewhere between a thick soup and a stew. It is related to the French ratatouille, typically made with eggplant, onions and tomatoes, and the Sicilian caponata, made with more or less the same vegetables, plus celery and olives. In southern Italy, ciambotta (pronounced chahm-BOHT-tah) may also be spelled giambotta or cianfotta, depending on the region.

This recipe works great with any summer squash. We used to make it with one we called cuccuzza, a pale green squash.

NOTES :

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