Fab Ratatouille

I hope you're having a wonderful week  --  this week's recipe is one of my absolute favorites because it truly feels like it is made with "pure sunshine".  When made well, it's one of the most flavorful summer dishes.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.




Ratatouille

PointsPlus™ Value:  2                                  

Servings:  6

Preparation Time:  11 min                         

Cooking Time:  31 min

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Considered a condiment as well as a side dish, ratatouille hails from the sun-drenched region of Provence in France.

Ingredients

¾ pound raw eggplant, diced into 1/2" cubes
1 tsp table salt

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 medium zucchini, diced into 1/2" cubes
1 medium sweet red pepper, seeded and diced into 1/2" cubes

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed (medium)

¼ cup water

1 LB (about 3 medium) fresh ripe  tomatoes, peeled and chopped

2 Tbsp basil, fresh, shredded

¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

Put the eggplant in a colander in the sink and sprinkle with 3⁄4 teaspoon of the salt. Let stand 20 minutes, then rinse under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels.

Prepare  the tomatoes - here is how:  To peel them: boil a couple of pints of water.  In the meantime mark an X in the (non stem) end of each of the tomatoes, scorring through the skin and place them in a deep bowl.  Have a slotted or draining spoon handy and then pour the boiling water over the tomatoes to completely immerse them.  Count to 10, slowly, then one by one remove them and place in a second bowl and run under cold water.  The skin should peel right off.  A gourmand would cut them in half and squeeze out the pips before dicing them up, however, I tend to use the whole fruit.  Dice the tomatoes into about 1/2 to 3/4 " dice.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute; then add the water.

Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, shaking the pan occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, pepper, and the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt; simmer, uncovered, until the liquid is evaporated, about 25 minutes. Discard the garlic. Let cool to room temperature before serving. Yields about ¾ cup per serving.

Notes

This recipe is delicious served at room temperature. It can easily be doubled;  the flavor only improves with time. 


Come back on Sunday for the next post :)