chunky ratatouille with rainbow peppers (and a little salsa)

When I was young, ratatouille was not an unknown - I ate it, but it often was made with too much olive oil, and the vegetables were limp and , to my eye, overcooked.  And then came Nouvelle Cuisine.  Somewhere I read a recipe for ratatouille during that time -  the vegetables were cooked quickly, and they stayed beautifully colorful.  From that time on I tinkered with the recipe, depending on the season.  Which brings me to my delight with those cello bags of small, colorful sweet peppers, which are almost always on hand.  Instead of using one large pepper , I thought it would be even prettier with a rainbow of color - orange, reds, yellows - the green of zucchini, the dusky skin of the eggplant.

And you see, I was right:

In under 45 minutes from start to finish I had at least 5 or 6 cups of ratatouille  - some into containers for the fridge, and some to give away to my neighbors, who are always interested in what I'm cooking.

The recipe:

Note:  I taste raw eggplant and usually can tell if it's going to be bitter.  Bitter eggplant is a disaster because there's no way to save it, you have to toss it.  That said, it's wise to slice the eggplant, sprinkle with kosher salt, and let sit 15 minutes.  Wash and pat dry before proceeding with the recipe.

1 medium firm eggplant, sliced (see above), cut into large dice
4 tablespoons good olive oil (I use California)
1 large white onion, chopped
4 smashed peeled garlic cloves
2 medium green zucchinis, washed, sliced into large dice
1/2 lb (which is half a bag) of rainbow mini peppers, trimmed of stems and seeded and sliced into fourths
1 medium can of diced tomatoes, include juices
1 cup small cherry tomatoes, whole
3 tablespoons Green Mountain Gringo salsa, medium heat
salt and pepper to taste
dried basil and oregano, or you can use fresh as well - I prefer dried.

In a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil until sizzling.  Add the onions and garlic and stir for a few minutes, then add the chopped peppers.  Let the peppers sear a little before stirring them - I like the little bit of charring they pick up.

Add the canned tomatoes, salsa, herbs, eggplant, and zucchini and stir well. Then add the whole cherry tomatoes and gently stir in.  Let cook, half covered, on medium heat 15-20 minutes, then stir and taste the ratatouille.  There should be no undercooked pieces in the pot.  Take the pot off the burner, cover, and let sit half an hour before eating.  You can plate it or just put it in a bowl or serving dish.

Enjoy!

eggplant stackers with basil and mozzarella

I came across this recipe in the Boston Globe a week or so ago and, being an eggplant lover, had to try it almost ASAP. The original recipe had panko bread crumbs, but since I almost always think bread crumbs add nothing to a recipe, I skipped them. I made a fresh tomato sauce by pureeing three huge tomatoes and simmering it for a bit; nicely perky and tasting of summer. A few fresh basil leaves, a little olive oil and salt and pepper, and, of course, that oozing mozzarella cheese make this a keeper for my files.

For four "stacks"

one large eggplant, at least 8 good slices for the stacks

1/2 cup olive oil

kosher salt and fresh pepper

3 large tomatoes, cut into quarters, seeds squeezed out, pureed

1/2 cup parmesan, grated

several basil leaves, sliced

8 thin slices mozzarella cheese

~
Turn on the broiler.
Brush 8 eggplant slices on both sides with olive oil.
Broil eggplant until browned, then flip and do the other sides.
Remove eggplant to cool.
Place the pureed tomatoes in a small saucepan and simmer until it's
a little less watery. Add a little olive oil and salt and pepper, set aside.
~
Spread a layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of a baking dish.
Using the largest slices of eggplant first, place on top of the tomato sauce.
Using a spoon, smear a little tomato sauce on each eggplant slice, then sprinkle on a tablespoon of parmesan, enough mozzarella to cover the slice, and some sliced basil leaf.
~
Top the eggplant stacks with the second slices of eggplant, again placing a good spoonful of tomato sauce on top. Add more basil leaf, and a little salt and pepper.
~
Preheat oven to 400F.
Slide the baking dish of stackers into the oven, and bake for 20 minutes, or until the mozzarella is melting.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

not Julia's ratatouille

Summer is coming to a close - time to stack the wood , make peach preserves, and count the days until the Honey Crisp apple season opens. It's also time to celebrate ratatouille season, that delicious mixture of zucchini, garlic and eggplant, tomatoes and peppers, heavenly basil.

When my stepmother made ratatouille, it was similar to Julia's recipe; a tedious, oil soaked casserole of the same ingredients that truly repelled me. It was only when the "nouvelle" craze hit that I discovered a way to make a fresh, lively, and edible ratatouille.

*A note on eggplant. When I worked in a French restaurant, we routinely sliced the eggplants, salted them heavily in a strainer with kosher salt, and let them sit for 30 minutes, before washing and patting them dry. You can still do that, but I've found if you choose a very fresh, very firm eggplant, you can usually get away with just slicing and dicing it without that step. I admit, once I used an eggplant that turned out to be so bitter, I had to toss the whole batch of ratatouille. It's really your decision.

Rather than the hours the traditional recipe calls for, this recipe is done in about a half an hour.

To make:

3 T. olive oil

1 medium or large chopped onion

3 fat garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 large green pepper, chopped in a large dice

1 medium, firm, unpeeled eggplant, cut in a large dice

* you may salt and drain it first, see above

1 medium zucchini, cut in a large dice

about 1-2 cups canned plum tomatoes with juice, cut up. ( I also have used canned diced tomatoes with chiles, the 14.5 oz can)

3 T. or so of really good salsa ( I use Green Mountain Gringo from Vermont)

fresh or dried basil, oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan.

Add the onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes.

Add the peppers, eggplant, and zucchini and cook, covered, over medium heat for about 20 minutes.

Uncover and add the tomatoes, oregano, basil, and salt and pepper.

Turn heat to medium-low and let simmer for another 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked through and tender.

Turn off heat and let the ratatouille sit for 20 minutes before serving.

Your taste buds will thank you!