Ratatouille and Saying Goodbye to Summer

Filed in archive Recipes on September 28, 2007

Au revoir summer. You will be missed.

It will be strange not to walk down the lane, turn the key in the lock and enter our garden to pick fresh, vine ripened tomatoes, sweet and fragrant Muscat grapes, long green chili peppers, fat purple eggplants and little onions.



Last night the remaining tomatoes and eggplants from the garden, with zucchini and peppers from the market, were made into a colorful, garlicky ratatouille.

There was quite a ratatouille craze this summer after the Disney/Pixar movie with that cute little rat, Rémy, was released. It seemed I couldn't open up any food website or blog without stumbling upon a version of this Provençal summer vegetable stew.

This is not the lovely, symmetrical, spiral ratatouille from the movie, which was actually inspired by Thomas Keller's recipe for Confit Byaldi. This ratatouille is beautiful in a traditional, deconstructed way.

Ratatouille
from Savoring France by Georgeanne Brennan

2 generous tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 small yellow or white onions, chopped
2 eggplants, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large green, red or yellow bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 to 10 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 fresh rosemary sprig
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh basil

In a large, heavy saucepan or soup pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. When it is hot, reduce the heat to medium-low, add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the eggplant and garlic and sauté, stirring often, until the eggplant cubes are slightly softened, 3 - 4 minutes.

Add the zucchini and bell peppers and continue to sauté, stirring and turning, until softened, another 4 - 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, salt and pepper and stir and turn for another 2 - 3 minutes.

Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and have somewhat blended together, about 40 minutes.

Stir in the basil and remove from the heat. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot, at room temperature or cold.

Serves 10