All content copyright Katrina Hall 2008 through 2025

Monday, April 14, 2008

my favorite ratatouille recipe



For years I avoided ratatouille. Even when I was cooking at Le Bocage , I made it, but I didn't much like it. All that changed when I started tinkering with a low-fat, low oil recipe. All of a sudden I was in some sunny , basil-scented country, sitting at a long table with 19 smiling friends..............oh, it was glorious, and I never get tired of it.

You will need:

4 T. virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

1 red pepper, chopped in 1 inch pieces

1 yellow or orange pepper, chopped in 1 inch pieces

1 medium-large eggplant, very fresh, very firm, cut in large dice

2 zucchini, green or a mix of yellow and green, large dice

a large can of Italian plum tomatoes

several tablespoons of Green Mountain Gringo salsa, mild

tomato paste ( optional)

basil, oregano, salt and pepper

Heat oil in large pot. Add the chopped onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes. Add the peppers, eggplant, and zucchini, stir, lower heat a little, and cover pot. Cook about 15 minutes, uncover, then add the tomatoes and salsa, and the herbs and salt and pepper. Start with one tablespoon dried basil ( or fresh), and a teaspoon of dried oregano to begin. Taste and season as you wish. If you want a little more tomato oompf, add a tablespoon of tomato paste. Stir and cook uncovered until vegetables are just soft. You may need to add a little water - I usually add about a half cup of water. I've also been known to add a small can of V-8 juice to the ratatouille along with the salsa..

This freezes really well - so you might as well double the recipe.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beautiful flavors and the colors certainly appeal to my appetite.

All through my college years, I ate from our garden. Our dinners were usually ratatouille or stuffed zucchini. You've taken me back to some of my vegetarian foodie firsts.

she's in the kitchen said...

Thanks, Mam, for your kind words! I always forget ratatouille is vegetarian! It's tangy, meaty, delicious, and (as mentioned), takes me to a sunny place I've never been! Lucky you - I didn't get into ratatouille until I was in my 30's..........oh , what I was missing!

Aaron Paul Lazar said...

This looks devine!!! I'm so pleased you opened your heart and personal cookbook to share this recipe with us, Katrina. Thank you!

she's in the kitchen said...

Thanks, Aaron! No doubt this will come in handy during bumper crop season in your incredible garden....so pleased you came by!

Balkrishnanitt said...

hi
nice recipe . I also read all the other cake recipe and they looked delicious.I am from India and believe that veg food is healtheir than non veg.Can u send a veg recipe to cooking all those cake recipes without eggs

Balkrishnanitt said...

Please mail me at
balkrishnanitt@gmail.com

she's in the kitchen said...

Balkrishnanitt - I haven't had any experience with the egg substitutes, so I can't help you with that. I do know people in the States who use an egg substitute powder, which perhaps you can find.