tastes of a warm holiday … Ratatouille

OK, this time it was several bags of peppers, tomatoes, white eggplant and zucchini from the farmers at the market stands around me.  Lugging it all to my car, all I could think about was ratatouille.  Whoo whee ratatouille!  Hot sun, mistral winds, icy cold glasses of rosé, a half eaten bowl of spiced olives and the air scented with lavender.  Except I’m not in Provence.  I’m in Chicago and it’s cold and rainy.  Well, a girl can dream can’t she?

There’s something about this dish that instantly transports me elsewhere.  Somewhere sunny where your bones are steeped in that feeling only a long vacation can bring.  Where, much to your chagrin, your language skills aren’t strong enough to follow along so the ‘ol brain just sort of shuts off and enjoys the beautiful lyrical qualities of the conversations floating around.  Where the ATM spits out bills in various sizes and colors – such a nice change from the same same green – and you have to remind yourself that it’s not like Monopoly money.  When you wake up your first thought is “Hey, what’s for lunch?”  And the next thought is “Hey!  What’s for dinner?”  That’s the extent of your day.  You spend hours wandering the cobblestone streets, going no where in particular, stopping here, peeking in there, smiling as the church bells toll.  You stumble upon an ancient amphitheatre and take a seat, imagining a raucous bullfight far below.  You lie down, soak up the sun and take a quick nap because deciding where to eat has become too strenuous.

But now it’s that time so you head to a nearby café, pull out a rattan chair facing the town square, order a carafe du vin – rosé sil vous plait – and people watch.  A quick look at the menu, then it’s set aside.  You can’t decide.  Perhaps a bit more wine and a nibble of bread.  A sigh.  A sip.  It’s time to order and now, somehow, the ratatouille seems just right.  And it is.

Ratatouille is a classic combination of tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, peppers, onions, garlic and herbs such as thyme, basil, marjoram and/or herbes de Provence.  It’s kind of like a chunky Mediterranean spaghetti sauce and would indeed be great with pasta.  There isn’t just one way to make it – some say sauté it all together; some say sauté separately, layer in a casserole and then bake it (hello Julia!)  I’m of the sauté-it-all-together-and-call-it-a-day group of thinking.  Something about this dish makes me a bit lazy.

Typically, I don’t really measure anything as it depends on what I have on hand.  The result isn’t all that traditional but I imagine it’s close.  I add a little tomato paste to deepen the tomato flavor and a little wine – red or white – to balance out the acidity.

I like ratatouille best in a shallow bowl with some crusty bread.  Sometimes I wrap it snugly in a crepe with a little fresh goat cheese.  Add some stock and you’ve got a helluva vegetable soup.  The last bakery I worked used it as a panini filling with munster cheese.  Now THAT was delicious.  It’s great with grilled meats, particularly lamb which is what I ate tonight.  The point is, ratatouille is versatile.  It freezes well too so load up at the market and whip up a double batch.  Eat some now and stock some up for those dreary months when you need a little sunshine.

 

STRESS BAKING THERAPY FACTOR:   MEDIUM-HIGH.  Conjuring up memories of sunny days is always a good good thing.  Stocking up the freezer with good stuff makes you feel so damn efficient too.

RATATOUILLE – adapted from Gourmet Magazine
Serves 4

1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large eggplant (about 1 pound) cut into ½” pieces
2 small zucchinis, halved length-wise, cut into ¼” slices
1 bell pepper, chopped
¾ pound small ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup red wine (or white wine or chicken stock)
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¾ teaspoon kosher salt

1. In a large skillet sauté the onion in 2 Tablespoons of the oil over moderately low heat until translucent.
2. Add the remaining oil, the eggplant, garlic and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally until softened – about 10-12 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, wine (or stock), the oregano, thyme, fennel, red pepper flakes and salt and cook the mixture, covered, for 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
4. Uncover, add the zucchini and cook another 5-10 minutes until tender and the liquid is reduced.
5. The ratatouille can be made 1 day in advance.  It also freezes pretty well.