Vegetable Stew (Giambotta) A La Rachael Ray - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus some to drizzle
1 bay leaves, fresh or 1 dried bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 garlic clove, cracked from skin
2 onions, sliced
2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 eggplant, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (optional, for that extra zing)
italian seasoning, to taste
28 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes (from a can)
1 cup low sodium chicken broth (we used low-sodium vegetable) or 1 cup vegetable stock (we used low-sodium vegetable)
1/2 cup torn chopped fresh basil (10 to 12 leaves) or 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley
4 slices whole wheat crusty bread (1-inch thick)
1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese

Preparation

Preheat broiler.
Heat a medium soup pot over medium heat.
Add extra-virgin olive oil, bay, chopped garlic and onions and let them sweat out while you prepare the rest of the veggies.
Work next to the stove and drop as you chop, in order of longest cooking time: potatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and bell pepper.
Season with salt and pepper, cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Uncover and add tomatoes and stock and cook 5 minutes more, to heat through.
Turn heat off and stir in basil(we don't use basil here -- instead we add Italian Seasoning and some parsley)
Char bread under broiler and rub with cracked garlic then drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, top with cheese and pepper and return to the broiler for 30 seconds to brown cheese.
Serve cheese whole-grain toast with bowls of vegetable stew.