No, I haven't seen the movie. But I've known about Ratatouille for a lot longer than the Pixar version. It's one of those long-standing classic dishes, but until recently, I could not tell you why the dish made so much sense. Not until last summer at the farmers market while I was shopping what was fresh and in season for mid-summer.
Consider what is in season right now: tomatoes, peppers, onions, eggplant, okra, zucchini, yellow squash, garlic. All in season, all together, all in the one recipe. Makes perfect sense to build a dish around those ingredients, right? I just never got that point. The recipe existed before the corner Megamart with anything and everything regardless of season. It was built around the vegetables that were available, fresh, and in grown in one's garden. Simple. Rustic. And delicious. Recipes follow ...
No, I haven't seen the movie. But I've known about Ratatouille for a lot longer than the Pixar version. It's one of those long-standing classic dishes, but until recently, I could not tell you why the dish made so much sense. Not until last summer at the farmers market while I was shopping what was fresh and in season for mid-summer.
Consider what is in season right now: tomatoes, peppers, onions, eggplant, okra, zucchini, yellow squash, garlic. All in season, all together, all in the one recipe. Makes perfect sense to build a dish around those ingredients, right? I just never got that point. The recipe existed before the corner Megamart with anything and everything regardless of season. It was built around the vegetables that were available, fresh, and in grown in one's garden. Simple. Rustic. And delicious.
I do a few things differently. Eggplant can be bitter, so I dice it first and salt it with a half teaspoon of kosher salt and let it rest while I do the other prep work. The rest of the chopping is all easy, large rustic chunks of vegetable. While those of the French or French Quarter persuasion may cringe at the idea, I do not peel my tomatoes. I also roast the dish in the oven to get the most sweetness out of the vegetables.
It's better the next day, cold even. The flavors marry overnight. Most of all, it's an easy and healthy way to use everything in season in one big pot. One more reason why those traditional recipes have endured.
Roasted Ratatouille
1 lb. diced eggplant
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2-1/2 pounds deep-red-fleshed heirloom tomatoes, quartered (Beefsteak or Cherokee Purple)
1/2 lb. baby okra, top cut off and halved lengthwise
1/2 lb. zucchini, diced
1/2 lb. yellow squash, diced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
2 tbs. red wine vinegar
1 tbs. sugar
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes (or Tabasco)
black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Salt eggplant and set aside while you do the rest of the chopping. Heat oil in large dutch oven (oven-proof). Sweat the onion and garlic (lower heat than saute, no browning). Add the peppers and continue to sweat the vegetables. Add okra. Give this mix about ten minutes of time on the stove and stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes and smash a bit with the spoon. Add the squashes, red wine vinegar, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Stir a bit and then place the pot, uncovered, into the oven for 30-40 minutes. Stir once during roasting time. Remove from oven and season to taste with the black pepper and any additional salt you need.
I like this served with roast chicken and Sourdough bread, but it makes a meal of its own without any meat. Some people like it cold the next day with a fried egg on top.
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