RATATOUILLE

We LOVE ratatouille around here!  No, I don’t mean the adorable (and gifted!) cartoon rat who displays amazing and enviable (?) culinary skills, although he is pretty darn cute.  I mean the French vegetable dish of tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, peppers, onions, garlic, basil and olive oil.  Oooo la la!  Summer isn't summer without a couple of big batches throughout the season.  


This beautiful veggie side dish is so versatile and adaptable, too.  I like it cold as a snack - don't turn up your nose, try it and you'll be sneaking spoonfuls from the fridge, too.  It's delicious tucked into omelets for a quick brunch or even for dinner.  It makes a really good bruschetta...friends and sangria on the deck with some good crusty bread spread with room temp ratatouille makes for a delightful way to spend a warm summer evening.  Trust me...we've done it!

What's my very favorite way of using leftover ratatouille?  Pizza.  Slather a store-bought pizza crust with cold ratatouille, sprinkle with a little feta over the top, a few minutes in the oven....dinner's on!

The kids and I enjoy it so much, we've been known to make ratatouille just so we can have the pizza later in the week.  It freezes well, too, so tuck some into the freezer for cold winter evenings that need a little reminder of warm weather to come.  Here's the recipe!

Ratatouille

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 large eggplants, peeled and cubed
• 2 green peppers, seeded, sliced thinly & cut into 2" pieces
• 3 small zucchini, sliced thin
• 6 large red ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded & chopped
• salt and pepper
• a good handful of fresh basil, chopped finely
• seasoned salt, Crazy salt, of course

Heat oil in a large electric skillet and saute onion and garlic until soft.  Add green peppers, stir well and cook 5 minutes. 

Add eggplant and cook until soft.  Add rest of ingredients.  Cook covered about 45 minutes or until nicely melded.

NOTE: This makes a lot!  Make the whole recipe so you have lots leftover to freeze and to make PIZZA!  

 

 


That Ratatouille Pizza I rhapsodized over?  Here's how you do it!

Ratatouille Pizza

• leftover ratatouille
• store-bought pizza crust
• feta cheese

Spread the ratatouille on the crust and crumble feta over the top.  Bake according to the pizza crust directions.

Some "recipe" huh?  Enjoy!