Ratatouille

[Raspberrymocha55]

My stepson had never eaten eggplant. I found a gorgeous one at a flea market up north over the weekend. He had brought some big ones home from his Minnesota visit. (Our garden was so bad this year that even zucchini didn't grow! LOL). I had a few store bought tomatoes in the fridge (48 plants and no tomatoes either : ( Anyhow, my herbs are beautiful so I picked basil and oregano. Hubby wanted shrimp scampi, I decided it was time to make ratatouille to go with. I also made a wild rice thingy to serve with the shrimp. Stepson loved the ratatouille, as do I. Hubby wouldn't try it for fear of "vegetable poisoning.". However, this veggie stew was to die for! (I used to make it frequently before my late in life marriage to a carnivore who HATES vegetables.)

Anyone else make ratatouille?

 

[Dawgluver]

I saw the movie, does that count?

I'm interested in your recipe, please post it!

Sorry your garden didn't do so well, Rasp. If you'd like, maybe we can help you troubleshoot in Culinary Gardener.

 

[Rocklobster]

I love the stuff. I love the leftovers also. The next day, I coarsely grind them in the food processor and eat it as an anti pasti on crackers or crusty bread...

 

[taxlady]

I love the stuff. I love the leftovers also. The next day, I coarsely grind them in the food processor and eat it as an anti pasti on crackers or crusty bread...

Hmm, now there's an idea. I wonder if Stirling would like it that way. Some foods that are unappealing are much better tasting in tiny piecesS

I like ratatouille, but Stirling doesn't, so I don't usually make it.

 

[Raspberrymocha55]

My ratatouille:

1 lg eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 lg zucchini, quartered and sliced1/2" thick
4-6 lg tomatoes, diced
1 lg green or red bell pepper, 1" squares
1-2 lg onions, large dice
4+ garlic cloves, sliced, diced
3-4 T olive oil
20 fresh basil leaves, julienned
2 T. Fresh oregano leaves
Salt and pepper
Mushrooms if desired

Sauté garlic and onion in olive oil til soft or even caramelized. (Dutch oven) Toss in peppers, zucchini and eggplant and sauté a bit more. Stir in tomatoes and herbs. At this point you can either bake it for 45 min covered at around 350, or simmer on the stovetop covered for about 1/2 hour. Season with s&p to taste. Don't add any water or stock as it will make plenty of its own juice, and don't thicken when done. Some folks toss in a bit of white wine with the sauté. I don't. Serve over rice if desired. I like freshly grated Parmesan to serve. Crusty bread is good to sop up juice!

My hubby the uber-carnivore will not touch it. His loss! Some folk throw in a couple cubed potatoes, but I don't like the texture mix.

 

[taxlady]

I like to use three colours of bell peppers. And don't peel the eggplant. I was once served a ratatouille that was pretty good, if you didn't look at it. She only used green peppers, not enough tomato, and she peeled the eggplant. It was an awful looking grey mess.

 

[Raspberrymocha55]

I have always hated the texture of the eggplant skin. It's like chewing thin tasteless leather. I peel eggplant Parmesan, too.

 

[Hoot]

That sounds great!
Thanks!

 

[Raspberrymocha55]

Careful not to overcook this. I like a touch of crunch to my zucchini.

 

[CWS4322]

I like to "char" the eggplant a bit when making ratatouille. And, since I have so darned many leeks, I am using leeks instead of onions, putting everything in the crockpot for about 3 hours on low after lightly cooking the other veggies. Think I might add some chunks of the sweetest rutabaga we've ever harvested...maybe add some chunks of winter squash. It is a dish with which one can play, and play I will. (I did have a bit of a problem not eating the "burnt" eggplant on french bread dressed with garlic-infused olive oil and topped with some parm. cheese when the "burnt" eggplant was room temp...my weakness, I love eggplant. These were no bigger than 4 inches--baby eggplant from the garden). No bitter, tough skin and no bitter seeds. I seem to recall eggplant with lots of seeds are male and those are more bitter than those without a lot of seeds (female), or I have that reversed.

This was my inspiration:

Chef Michael Smith | recipe | Ratatouille

 

[Raspberrymocha55]

Good idea!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I love Ratatouille...no one else does.

 

[Dawgluver]

The movie was great!

 

[no mayonnaise]

Good vegetarian dish to have up your sleeve.

 

[Addie]

I have always hated the texture of the eggplant skin. It's like chewing thin tasteless leather. I peel eggplant Parmesan, too.

Some veggies cry to be peeled. Eggplant is one of them. Skins can be very difficult for some folks to digest.

 

[CWS4322]

Some veggies cry to be peeled. Eggplant is one of them. Skins can be very difficult for some folks to digest.

I have only made this with little eggplants from the garden. The skins don't seem to present a problem.

 

[CharlieD]

I love eggplant and zucchini too, never made or had ratatoulie though. Should try it one time. Thank you for the recipe.

 

[CharlieD]

Some veggies cry to be peeled. Eggplant is one of them. Skins can be very difficult for some folks to digest.

+1. In all the truth I peel almost everything. Cucumbers, apples, tomatoes when I have time, zucchini, eggplants, for sure potatoes. I hate skin pretty much of every vegetable and fruit.

 

[Addie]

I have only made this with little eggplants from the garden. The skins don't seem to present a problem.

I like the Japanese eggplants.

 

[Addie]

+1. In all the truth I peel almost everything. Cucumbers, apples, tomatoes when I have time, zucchini, eggplants, for sure potatoes. I hate skin pretty much of every vegetable and fruit.

Sometimes I will buy those little cukes for pickling. I think they have a lot of flavor and there is no wax on the skins. My serrated veggie peeler allows me to peel tomatoes without having to go through the process of the hot water/cold water process. The wax thing on the skins kind of turns my stomach. I know it is the same wax that is used in canning. Only in smaller amounts. But I don't eat paraffin wax as part of my daily diet. It is used to make the cukes and other veggies look more attractive.

Sometimes I feel guilty removing the skins. You lose so many nutrients when you peel. But I simply cannot digest them.