"Ratatouille doesn't sound delicious. It sounds like "rat" and "patootie." Rat-patootie, which does not sound delicious." Linguini, from the movie 'Ratatouille'
Ha ha! What a quote!
Well, hello my fave followers! How are all of you this fine Friday morn?! Wow, it feels like I've been gone forever!
I've been thinking all week about what recipe I would make today... On a visit up to our 10 acres in Norfolk County this past Monday, I picked a bushel full of veggies. The usual suspects made their way in there: eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, along with some summer squash (the white, U.F.O. shaped things!). So lovely! It dawned on me yesterday that a big ol' ratatouille would be the best way to celebrate all the flavours! For those of you who are not familiar, ratatouille is a vegetable stew, traditional to Provence, France; located beside Italy and along the Mediterranean coast. Oh Provence... I haven't been there yet, but I would love to go! I get romantic visions of olive groves, orchards and vineyards. Kev and I would spend hours wondering through outdoor markets, nibbling on the local treat of socca bread, looking at the day's catch, fruits and vegetables and sampling freshly pressed olive oils. Kev and I would then saunter into a cafe to enjoy a slice of pissaladiere. We would stay for dinner and I would have a bowl of bouillabaise served with a dollop of rouille, while Kev with enjoy a daube Provencale. We would drink copious amounts of locally made wine, then switch to pastis and enjoy sipping our liquor late into the night... Sorry bout that, back to reality! Now, there are two methods to make the stew, the quick way and the long way. I'm opting out for the quick way, of course! Instead of salting, draining and cooking the vegetables separately, we are gonna skip some steps and are gonna cook em' all together. The key is the order in which we introduce each ingredient, to make sure we do not overcook. Julia Child would certainly be scolding me, along with a whole host of French Chefs, but come on! I swear, I know what I'm doing! And I promise, my ratatouille will be delicious! Oh, here's a tip: have everything cut up and ready to go before you start cooking. It's much easier this way.
Simple and Tasty Recipe:
Ontario Vegetable Ratatoutille
(serves 4 to 6)
2 to 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, sliced or chopped
1 to 2 green and or red peppers, sliced or medium cube
1 eggplant, medium cube
2 zucchini or summer squash, medium cube
2 cloves garlic, chopped
5 or 6 tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or a 28oz tin of chopped tomatoes, drained)
handful of fresh herbs, chopped (can be parsley, basil, marjoram or oregano, or a combo)
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
*season the veggies as you go with a little salt and pep, it will bring out all of the flavours!
.in a large skillet on medium high heat, add the olive oil
.when the oil is hot, toss in the onions and peppers, saute (stir frequently), for 5 mins
.add in the eggplant, saute another 5 mins
.toss in the zucchini, saute 2 to 3 minutes more
.stir in the garlic, tomatoes and herbs, add a dash more salt and pep
.now at this point, you can either turn the heat down to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook (20 to 30 mins), or you can transfer the stew into a casserole, cover with a lid or foil and finish cooking in a 350 oven for about 30 to 40 minutes
.it is done when the vegetables are tender, adjust the seasoning, bon appetit!
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