Ratatouille Three Ways

Ratatouille solo
Ratatouille with Rice and cheese
Ratatouille pie 

Ratatouille:

Heat olive olive oil and add in sequence:

2-3 cloves garlic diced

1 red onion, chopped

bay leaf

1 large eggplant, deep purple or 2 small stripped beauties or 2-3 small Japanese… chopped

3 median squash, like zucchini, yellow squash, patty pan

1 bell pepper

4 large tomatoes or 8 Roma chopped, or one large can of diced roasted tomatoes

large handful of pinion nuts

large handful of fresh basil, chopped

1 Tbl fresh thyme

1 Tbl fresh marjoram

salt and pepper

Main dish options:

Ratatouille with Rice and cheese. Start cooking the ratatouille, and when you get the eggplant going, start the rice. When every thing is cooked, vegetables are soft but recognizably themselves, and the rice is ready, spoon rice into a serving bowls, add some mozzarella squares (which will be soft warm bites after being warmed by the rice and vegetables), cover with ratatouille, and then top with grated parmesan cheese and serve.

Ratatouille pie: Bake a pie crust for 12 minutes at 425. Line the crust with a layer of crumbled feta cheese.  Fill with Ratatouille. Top with a generous sprinkling of grated parmesan and Italian bread crumbs.  Bake at 325 for 30 minutes more.

Ratatouille is a French vegetable stew, from originally from Nice. Nothing like the fresh smell of basil. If you want to grow your own, I’ve had better luck with the purple veined African blue type.  It can grow into the hot New Mexican Sun, and endure through the summer, staying robust and leafy. I have fond memories of one generous plant providing enough leaves for my basil-loving family through the summer. They are also beautiful, but not quite as tender as the delicate sweet basil that usually finds its way into ratatouille.

Something French to go with your Ratatouille: Django.