Here goes a second try as blogdrive ate my first draft (which was turning out Soooo much better than this attempt, of course) and made me so angry I had to put it off a bit before retrying...

Every once in a while the whole family gangs up on me (well, except the MiL, she catagorically refuses to taste almost anything I prepare in the kitchen, except for an occasional sweet, claiming irreconcilable culinary cultural differences) and has me make dinner, which almost always means they want "verdure saltate", a variation on home-fried potatoes that is perhaps (ever so very slightly) healthier. It started out with only potatoes, but over the years came small experimental steps, until I discovered it could be about anything, and still turn out okay...
We usually accompany it with meat, or sausage, or eggs, but there are many possible combinations.

After mentioning this dish on one of those twenty-question quizzy thingies recently, I was requested to share the recipe, but, unfortunately, there is nothing really to share, as it is more a process than a set of rules...
look to see if you have vegetables (fresh):
NO?: go buy some at the fruit and vegetable stand, proceed to YES at this point ->
YES?: chop them up all up.
COOK: until ready, depending on the mixture used...
that's about it...

in a little more detail, here are some suggestions to get the thing off on the right foot:
start with some soffritto: finely chopped onions, celery, carrots, and garlic if you want.
cut up the vegetables in cubes or slices, depending on their general cooking time and toss them in - vegetables that take longer (es. potatoes) get cut up smaller while others (es. eggplant) get cut bigger and added first, while others (es. zucchini) get added a little later.

I usa a big, heavy bottomed pan. The home fries started out in a cast-iron skillet, which I don't have now. Cast iron requires a little more attention and constant scraping and turning, while most modern non stick ones seem to work well.

The oil can probably be anything, but I use peanut oil sparingly to begin with, and then alternate adding from time to time, just as necessary, a little bit of butter (for flavor) and olive oil (idem) as well as a little water and white wine.

Possible ingredients:
potatoes;
zucchini;
cauliflower;
sweet (bell) peppers;
artichokes (small fully edible ones, or artichoke hearts, can even be oil preserved/canned/bottled);
tomatoes (less oil);
broccoli;
eggplant (aubergine);
shrooms;
garlic;
onion;
leek;
brussel sprouts (be very careful to not overcook these);
fennel;

other possible additions (cut into small, usually cubed pieces):
pancetta;
bacon;
mortadella (thick slice cut into cubes, also known as bologna);
ham;
cheese (at the end);
pine nuts;
walnuts or almonds or pistachios, finely chopped;
sun dried tomatoes;
raisins;

a couple of cautionary points:

• don't use too much oil or butter. Add it as little at a time as you need to keep things from sticking or dry scorching. Sprinkle a little liquid (water or dry white wine) from time to time in place of adding oil. Use a light oil for the most part, and only a bit of butter and a bit of olive oil to add the taste factor and balance you like. Using only olive oil, especially "the good stuff", tends to make it too heavy, believe it or not...
  
• don't overcook the vegetables, burnt spots tend to make most of the vegetables too bitter;
• don't undercook the vegetables in this recipe. It is not a stir fry or steamed  medley where the broccoli or cauliflower taste good "al dente";
• salt gradually (if at all, I suggest at least a little bit), and use less salt if you add any already salted ingredients like bacon or pancetta;
  
• make more than you think. The recipe really cooks down, and can sometimes be started in two large pans to cook down to one, combining them near the end, and still be barely enough for the family (depending on the rest of the meal). The leftover vegetables are great reheated the next day too;
• use a cover if they seem to be staying hard, but don't cook them too long covered or they get soggy, almost steamed, and tend to turn out a mess;