Ratatouille is a favourite dish from the south of France. It is usually served as a side dish, but may also be served as a meal on its own (accompanied by pasta, rice or bread). Major ingredients include tomato, garlic, onion, zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, marjoram, fennel, basil, bay leaf, thyme or a mix of "Herbes de Provence".
The secret of a good ratatouille is to cook the vegetables separately so each will taste truly of itself.
Joël Robuchon, The Complete Robuchon
The Rata track is bit like a ratatouille. It is a real mix of vegetation types with tall hard and black beech forest, kamahi, shrubby kanuka, tree ferns and gorse. The track has a variety of steep climbs, flat sections and steady slopes. While ratatouille has its red tomatoes as a major colour component, the rata track is adorned with red flowering winter rata. There are some nice views at times into the surrounding valley.
The cache is hidden near a dense thicket of rata and one metre from the track.