The food! Mine doesn't look like the following picture because I used orange bell peppers and didn't use summer squash (although it would be a nice addition). I also cooked mine longer so it was a bit mushier than the one pictured. But the idea of a ratatouille is a rustic peasant vegetable stew. So I wanted you to see from this picture that its all about the veggies.
I actually made it, from scratch. The local food bank gives out cases of produce. This month we received eggplant, orange bell peppers, and tomatoes. So I went online to find out what I could make with eggplant besides eggplant parmesan. I'm not a fan of eggplant parmesan because when I've made it, it turned out too greasy. My daughter remembers me making it and then using it in lasagna, but I don't remember that. The bratwurst and cheese in the ratatouille are my families take on how to make vegetables edible. I thought it would be good without them and with the addition of some crusty toasted and buttered bread. So...here is my ratatouille:
PRINTER FRIENDLY RATATOUILLE RECIPE
Ratatouille
Makes 8 to 10 servings
2 large eggplants
2 onions
3 bell peppers
4 medium zucchini
4 large tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1 Tablespoon thyme
1 Tablespoon basil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 Tablespoons vinegar
1 Tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Cooking oil (I use Canola, the original recipe says olive oil)
10 bratwurst (mild), cooked and sliced into bite sized pieces
4 oz. goat cheese
Chop the eggplants into bite-sized cubes. Place them in a strainer set over a bowl and toss with a tablespoon of salt. Let the eggplant sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
The vegetables will be cooked in batches, so keep each one in a separate bowl once cut up. Roughly chop the onions, peppers, zucchinis, and tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Mince the garlic.
While cooking the vegetables, a brown glaze will gradually build on the bottom of the pan. If it looks like this glaze is beginning to turn black and burn, turn down the heat to medium. You can also dissolve the glaze between batches by pouring 1/4 cup of water or wine into the pan and scraping up the glaze. Pour the deglazing liquid into the bowl with the vegetables.
Warm a teaspoon of oil in a large (at least 5 1/2 quart) pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a generous pinch of salt. Saute until the onions have softened and are just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the peppers and continue cooking until the peppers have also softened, about another 5 minutes. Transfer the onions and peppers to a clean bowl.
Add another teaspoon of oil to the pot and saute the zucchini with a generous pinch of salt until the zucchini has softened and is beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the zucchini to the bowl with the onions and peppers.
Rinse the eggplant under running water and squeeze the cubes gently with your hands to remove as much moisture as possible. Warm two teaspoons of oil in the pan and saute the eggplant until it has softened and has begun to turn translucent, about 10 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to the bowl with the other vegetables.
Warm another teaspoon of oil in the pan and saute the garlic until it is fragrant and just starting to turn golden, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, and thyme. As the tomato juices begin to bubble, scrape up the brown glaze on the bottom of the pan. (Use your own judgement on time here. I left the tomatoes cooking until the juices were beginning to turn into a very thin tomato sauce. But its all about the texture you like, so less cooking time on the tomatoes is okay.)
Add all of the vegetables back into the pan and stir until everything is evenly mixed. Bring the stew to a simmer, then turn down the heat to low. Stirring occasionally, simmer for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 1/2 hours. Shorter cooking time will leave the vegetables in larger, more distinct pieces; longer cooking times will break the vegetables down into a silky stew.
When finished cooking, remove the bay leaf and stir in the basil, red pepper flakes, vinegar, salt and pepper, bratwurst, and goat cheese. Leftovers can be refrigerated for a week or frozen for up to three months. Ratatouille is often better the second day, and it can be eaten cold, room temperature, or warmed.
PRINTER FRIENDLY RATATOUILLE RECIPE
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