Ratatouille
I, like a lot of Boulder residents, read The Daily Camera– our local paper- online. I saw this recipe in August and recreated it it exactly. This simple, fast dish had me so impressed that I made it again.
The second time was just as great as the first, and led to a conversation about how such a simple dish can have complex, developed flavors. Fresh, seasonal produce is the key to an absolutely delicious ratatouille. It is the time of year to make ratatouille, so let’s all head out to our gardens or local market, gather these ingredients, and savor some seasonal veggies.
Ingredients:
- 1 small eggplant, un-peeled, cut in 1/4 in dice
- 3 TB olive oil
- 1 pound zucchini, quartered and sliced
- 1 red pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
- 1 green pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
- 1 cup onion, thinly sliced
- 1 TB finely chopped garlic
- 6 plum tomatoes, 2 beefsteak, or 2 large heirloom tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut in large dice
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- 4 TB fresh basil, coarsely chopped
Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add the eggplant, zucchini, and peppers, and stir continuously for 4 minutes or so over high heat to ensure the pieces cook evenly.
Add the tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper and stir to blend. Cover and cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or so.
Remove the bay leaf and stir in some of the basil. Use the rest of the basil as garnish. Enjoy.
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