Ratatouille

Ratatouille- A Taste of Provence!

Ratatouille is a classic French dish that turns summer vegetables into something amazingly delicious. I first tried ratatouille when my mother-in-law made it and now it is a Keeley family favorite.Made with zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, fresh herbs, and olive oil, it originated in Provence. What makes ratatouille so good is how all those vegetables add their own flavor while soaking up the olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, and herbs. It’s savory, colorful, and somehow, it tastes even better the next day! Ratatouille is summer in a bowl—fresh from the garden and full of flavor. The secret in making sure each vegetable retains its flavor after mixing it all together is to sauté the veggies separately before adding them all together. Follow the steps of my recipe and you won't be disappointed!

1 large or 2 small eggplants

1 medium zucchini

1 medium yellow summer squash

1 large onion

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

15 cherry tomatoes

8 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped (not skinny slivers but medium size cloves)

1 16oz can of stewed tomatoes

several sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)

2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried rosemary)

Olive oil for sautéing and 3 T set aside

1 tsp salt

1. Start with the eggplant. Cut into 1 inch cubes (leave the skin on). Put the cubes in a colander and salt them generously. Set aside for 30 minutes. The salt will pull the bitter liquid out of the eggplant, giving it a much better flavor. After salting for 30 minutes, rinse thoroughly and set the eggplant cubes aside.

2. Cut the large onion in half (from where the stem was to the bottom) and slice the halves into 1/4 thick half moon slices. Sauté the onions in about a tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat for about 3 minutes. Meanwhile chop the peppers into 3/4 inch square pieces. Add the peppers to the onions. Add 2 chopped garlic cloves and sauté for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Remove and add to a large pot or Dutch oven.

3. Cut the zucchini and yellow summer squash down the middle. Slice the halves into thirds. Chop the zucchini and yellow summer squash slices into 3/4 inch thick chunks. Chop 2 more cloves of garlic. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the sauce pan and sauté the squash on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Remove and add to pot with onions.

4. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the sauce pan. Chop 2 more cloves of garlic. Add garlic and eggplant to pan. Add herbs and sauté for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cut cherry tomatoes in half and add to eggplant for last minute of sautéing. Add to pot with rest of veggies. If using sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary, remove the sprigs and strip the remaining leaves and add to the veggies. Add more thyme or rosemary if preferred.

5. Open can of stewed tomatoes. Empty into a small bowl and with your hands, tear apart and crush the tomatoes. Pour the crushed tomatoes and juice into the pot with the veggies. Add 2 more chopped garlic cloves to pot.

6. Pour the 3 T of olive oil and salt into the pot with the veggies. Now stir everything together. (By sautéing  the different veggies separately before mixing together, you preserve their individual flavors which makes the combination much more flavorful when mixed together. Yeah- it takes longer but is worth it!) Now simmer the veggie mixture on low/medium heat for 10 minutes.

7. Cool and serve or better yet- put into the fridge for a day or two. The flavors will develop even more. 

You can serve ratatouille warm, cold, or at room temp. It's even good as a main dish along with a crusty French baguette.