I love ratatouille, any time of year. In the winter, I will add a little tomato paste and a parmesan rind to make it a hearty thick stew, but in the summer, typically these will be left out to really focus on the flavor and freshness of summer garden vegetables. It is up to you how you like your ratatouille in terms vegetable size. If you want a more rustic feel and look, go with larger, uneven chunks. If you prefer that the ratatouille looks a little prettier on the plate, dice all vegetables uniformly to 1/2 or 1/4 inch cubes (I personally like the smaller dice, as it looks more appetizing, blends the flavors better, and you don't end up with a gigantic chunk of braised eggplant in your mouth).
Makes approximately: 6 cups.
HEAT:
- two to three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in an 5-8 quart pot (over medium heat)
MINCE
- 5 cloves garlic
DICE ALL OF THE FOLLOWING TO 1/4 INCH CUBES
- 1/2 large onion (preferably a sweet onion)
- 2 small or one large eggplants (I remove the skin, it can be left on if you prefer)
- 3 large zucchini
- 2 small or one large red pepper (you can also use one red and one yellow for color)
- 2 14 oz. cans, drained but do not press out juice, petite cut diced tomatoes (or you can dice san marzano tomatoes yourself)
COOK
-saute the onions in the olive oil until opaque.
-add minced garlic, stir and cook for approximately another minute (do not let onions brown or garlic burn).
-add peppers, stir and cook for another two to three minutes.
-add eggplant, stir and cook for another five minutes (or until the eggplant is getting softer).
-add tomatoes, stir, lower heat, cook for approximately ten minutes.
-add zucchini, stir, cook over low heat for approximately 20 minutes.
Use your own judgement on cooking time, remember this is art and science, unlike baking (which is why I don't bake!), so there are no precise cooking times.
You don't want the ratatouille to be watery, so make sure that you have enough heat to reduce the excess liquid. It should still be moist.
add salt, pepper, olive oil to taste.
finish with minced fresh basil or any other herbs you like (parsley, thyme, etc).
if you like mushrooms, add mushrooms. I think they take away from the clean summer vegetable flavors so I typically don't put them in ratatouille.
Can be served hot or cold. Freezes well. Makes a great side for fish or chicken. Also is fantastic in a quiche, an omelette, or vegetable tart. Also works well as a filling for fillo dough if you are in need of a quick appetizer.
