It is great to have a 5-year-old daughter. (Of course, she would remind me that she is almost 6 and make me regret how fast time slips away, but that is the subject of another column.) Among the many wonderful attributes of being a parent is the fact that your children give you an excuse to go to every kids’ movie. I always loved those movies anyway, but as a single man I felt awkward without a rugrat in tow. Problem solved!

Recently, the Grace clan went to see the new offering from our favorite movie studio, PIXAR’s “Ratatouille.” It was a great movie about a rat who wants to be a chef. We had a fantastic time, but I was completely stumped when my daughter asked me what was in ratatouille.

I knew it was a vegetable dish. I kind of thought it had eggplant in it, but I wasn’t completely sure. French cooking is not exactly an area in which I excel. Like any good Dad, I faked a somewhat correct answer by throwing together a teaspoon of factual knowledge with a cup of malarkey and a dash of false confidence. The final product would have probably passed muster.

However, even I became curious about this French vegetable dish. A quick trip across the Internet provided me with hundreds of different recipes for this classic. There are many different variations, but I was shocked that all of the basic ingredients were available right here at the Anderson County Farmers Market. I was even more dismayed I had not tried it yet.

I have provided everyone with a basic recipe so you all may attempt this as well. Michael and I are going to take a trip to the Farmers Market and buy all of the ingredients for ratatouille. Then she can help Daddy cook this wonderful dish for dinner. Now, if I could only get her to eat something with that many vegetables in it, we’d be in business.