Summer Ratatouille

Ever been angry in the kitchen? Muttering under your breath? Chopping more vigorously than is necessary, perhaps?

Not me. Never. Well, maybe. OK, yes, just a few days ago.

Who gets mad at ratatouille?

I couldn’t help it. There I was, reveling in a significant Mother Earth moment, happily preparing a slew of organic veggies for my first ever attempt at this classic vegetable stew. As I sautéed, stirred, and simmered, the aroma of fresh basil and garlic and onions swirled in the air. “This is gonna be SO GOOD!” I thought. And then I realized I was also angry.

Ain’t nobody gonna like this ‘cept me.

I knew this like I knew the sun would rise and set every day. When it comes to vegetables co-mingling, especially with tomatoes, there is attitude at the table. A bad one. While they are mostly polite about it, they are steadfast in their resistance. Grrrr. I allowed myself to wallow in this day-mare, picturing their exact faces and words as I tortured them with my witch’s stew.

And then? I let it go.  Because *I* was going to L-O-V-E it.  Sometimes it’s quite alright to please yourself and cook up a side of green beans for the naysayers. That is how you feed your family while keeping your sanity 🙂

Now, about this ratatouille. There are hundreds of different recipes out there. Some have meat, most do not. Some have eggplant, others feature zucchini. All seem to have tomatoes and onions. You can stew it all together, or layer it and bake it in the oven. You can turn the tomatoes, onions, and peppers into a sauce and mix with the rest. The bottom line is, there are countless ways to make this dish, and you’ll rarely get it wrong.

This recipe actually features summer squash (which we’ve gotten a bounty of from the farm share), as well as other farm share booty such as onions, green peppers, plum tomatoes, and fresh basil. A little garlic, bay leaf, and rosemary round out the flavors, with some Parmesan cheese at the end for some richness. I sautéed everything stove top, then transferred it to a baking dish to finish in the oven with the cheese. You could just as easily finish it under a broiler if the mixture is still warm (mine sat on the back of the stove top all day while I ran about like a wood sprite delivering children to and fro).

Why don’t you give it a go? If YOU love a rich vegetable stew, that ought to be enough reason 🙂

Summer Ratatouille
Serves 6 (as a side); 3-4 as main dish

Prep time: 20 minutes     Cook time: 40 minutes

2 medium green peppers, chopped
3 small onions, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 medium summer squash, chopped (seeded, if you prefer)
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick pan. Add peppers and onions, and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Next, add squash and tomatoes, basil, rosemary, and bay leaf. Stir, then cover and let simmer on low-medium heat for approximately 20 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Transfer to a baking dish, remove bay leaf, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Alternatively, simply put under broiler for 2-3 minutes, until cheese is melted and surface is bubbly.

Serve as a side, or as a main dish with brown rice.

ENJOY!