Italian Vegetable Ragout

Ingredients

1 lb boiling potatoes
1 lb brussels sprouts tough leaves removed ends trimmed in
1 cauliflower
1 swiss chard tough stems removed torn in bite size
2 tb olive oil
1 c onion
1 c celery
3 garlic
1 tb marjoram
1 ts marjoram
1 zucchini
2 slices carrots
1 ts coarse salt
1/4 ts black pepper
16 oz chick peas
1/4 c basil

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook potatoes, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower for five minutes. Add Swiss chard and boil one minute more. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Drain vegetables; set aside. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and garlic; saute three minutes. Stir in marjoram, reserved cooking liquid, tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, salt and pepper, and reserved vegetables. Stir well, cover, and cook over medium-low heat until vegetables are just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in chick peas and just heat through. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with basil. Serve over whole wheat spaghetti or steamed brown rice. Suzanne Jonker, in "The Herb Companion."