Well, let’s not hold our breath, but it looks like a decent spell of weather is upon us. As I gaze out across the garden to the hills beyond there’s a very tangible sense of growth around the place.

Everything is starting to become properly green again. The birch tree which hangs over the drive is pushing out leaves at a terrific rate, the hornbeam hedge is bushing out nicely, and the herb garden is bursting into life.

Once the soil gets warm enough, and the frosts are gone, it’s amazing how quickly plants get their act together.

I can’t wait for the place to be full of sweet-scented lovage, fragrant fennel fronds and savoury sage. And of course, not long after the lawnmower comes out of hiding, we wheel out the barbecue expectantly and begin consulting the long-range forecasts.

So far in 2016 we’re played 2, won 1, lost 1 in the barbecue fixtures, having been rained off a couple of weeks ago, but we’re being positive for a good season ahead.

That said, I’m not a huge fan of barbecue per se – I find that, a lot of the time, delicate meat is often overpowered by smoke and loses a lot of tenderness, or becomes too charred to enjoy properly, but I do love the end result, which is eating outdoors.

It’s one of life’s great pleasures, to uncork a bottle of something gorgeously chilled and enjoy a long, lingering meal with good friends under a sunny sky. I’m sure much of the effect is purely psychological, but things seem to just taste better outside.

Tomatoes, warmed by the sun, seem to become more intense and juicy. A simple potato salad, smothered in chives freshly-picked from the herb patch, instantly becomes irresistibly delicious.

Which brings us to this week’s recipe, a terrific accompaniment not only to all things cooked alfresco, but a great recipe to have in the notebook for roasts and grills.

This dish is immensely versatile, being equally happy alongside fish or poultry, meat or simply enjoyed on its own. This week we’re cooking a version of the French classic summer vegetable dish, ratatouille.

Most of you will be familiar with the regular versions of this dish, originating in Nice in Provence, but which occurs, in varying forms, all over the Mediterranean where the ingredients grow happily.

A classic Ratatouille

Essentially it’s fried or grilled vegetables, usually peppers, onions, aubergines and courgettes in a rich, garlic-y tomato sauce.

The purist will prepare the vegetables separately before adding to the sauce, but most of us are happy with the quick, fuss-free method of sautéing the veg and chucking it in the sauce all at once. It’s a delicious summery dish, relatively quick to pull together, and full of intense flavours.

This recipe is one I’ve dealt with before, though I’ve refined it over the intervening years, and it involves a little bit more prep, though I think you’ll agree, looks a million dollars, and well worth the extra time with the mandolin or sharp knife.

Those of you with children will no doubt have seen the animated film ‘Ratatouille’, wherein a talented young rat becomes a grand chef, and the signature dish he makes at the climax of the film is what we’re working at today.

Created by US master chef Thomas Keller, this version of ratatouille sits the vegetables atop the sauce, making for a colourful presentation. It also tastes amazing, full of those summery tomato flavours, the sharpness of peppers, the creaminess of the aubergines and the magical herbs throughout.

A labour of love well worth trying.

FOR THE SAUCE:

1 red pepper, halved, and seeds removed

2 yellow or orange peppers, halved, and seeds removed

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 onion, finely diced

1 small bulb fennel, finely diced

2 sticks celery, finely diced

2 tins chopped plum tomatoes

2 tbsps tomato purée

Noilly Prat (or white wine)

A little fresh thyme, chopped

A little fresh basil

A little fresh flat-leaf parsley

Maldon salt

READ MORE: Stephen Jackson's recipe for artichoke, olive and three-cheese calzone

FOR THE VEGETABLES:

4-6 thin courgettes

4-6 thin aubergines

2 butternut squash (ideally with long, slender ‘necks’)

6-8 large ripe plum tomatoes

1 clove garlic, minced*

*2 teaspoons olive oil

A few fresh thyme leaves

Maldon salt and freshly-ground black pepper

EXTRAS:

A suitable baking dish which will fit the vegetables snugly

A mandolin (optional)

A little balsamic vinegar

For the sauce, heat the oven to 230ºC / Gas 8. Place the pepper halves on a foil-lined sheet, cut side down. Roast them until the skin become dark and charred, about 15 minutes.

Remove from the tray and immediately throw into a disposable freezer bag or covered bowl. Leave the peppers to steam for about 10 minutes. This should help loosen the skins. Peel away the charred skin and finely chop the pepper flesh.

In a saucepan, gently soften the onion, celery, fennel and garlic in a good slug of olive oil. Deglaze the pan with a little Noilly Prat or white wine, then add the tomatoes, tomato purée, and the chopped pepper flesh.

Simmer for about half an hour, then remove from the heat and add the chopped thyme. Hand-shred the basil into the sauce and stir to mix. Check for seasoning. Spoon the sauce into the baking dish and spread out evenly. Turn the oven down to 140ºC / Gas 1, and prepare the vegetables.

READ MORE: Stephen Jackson: Butternut Squash, Lentil and Goat's Cheese Salad With Onion Pickle

Peel the butternut squash carefully, and cut the bottom, seed-filled part away. Remove the seeds and freeze the bases for future use. Trim the tops as cylindrically as possible. Slice the squash as thinly as you can (a mandolin helps for this, but a sharp knife and careful hands will work fine ). Slice the tomatoes to the same thickness, trimming away the thinner ends, and do the same with the courgettes and aubergines.

Ideally, everything should be roughly the same diameter. Don’t worry if it’s slightly wonky. We’re not aiming for a Michelin star here. Alternate the vegetable slices on top of the sauce, either concentrically, or, if you have a square tin, in neat rows, until the dish is filled snugly with the vegetables sitting up in a perky manner. Mix a slug of olive oil with the minced garlic and the thyme leaves and a little black pepper and salt.

Carefully brush or drizzle over the vegetable slices. Cover the dish with foil and seal well. Bake for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until the vegetables are almost tender when poked with a small sharp knife. Remove the foil and bake for a further 30 minutes to allow some colouring of the tops. Drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar and serve immediately, or allow to cool.

Ratatouille is good at any temperature, including chilled.