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Ratatouille

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients

2 lbs	eggplant (any variety though dark purple is the best)
2 lbs	zucchini (you could substitute any summer squash)
4 TBLS	Olive Oil
1	Large Onion chopped
2	Cloves garlic minced
1 lb	ripe tomatoes (Beef Steak are the best but Early Girl are good too)
1 - 2 TBLS	fresh chopped parsley
1 - 2 TBLS	fresh chopped basil

The real keys to making this recipe perfection are two-fold: use the freshest of ingredients (perfect for gardeners) especially the herbs (no substituting dried for this recipe) and use a preparation tip that I got from America's Test kitchen so I hope they don't get mad at me for sharing it!

Preparation

1. Cut eggplant and zucchini into one inch cubes, salt lightly, let stand for 30 - 60 minutes, then rinse and pat dry.

(This is the America's Test Kitchen trick)

2. Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees

3. Toss eggplant and zucchini in 2 tablespoons of olive oil

4. Spread on baking sheet in single layer

5. Roast for 30 - 40 minutes stirring every 10 minutes or so until brown and tender

6. Set aside

(I had never thought about it until I discovered ATK's method but the eggplant and the zucchini take a lot longer to cook then the other items and a stove top method yielded a mushier texture even when the other ingredients were added later in the cooking. So this way you get the full flavors enhanced by roasting -- but you do have to wash an extra pan or two!

7. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan or Dutch oven heat olive oil

8. Add onions and cook until golden brown stirring frequently so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan

9. Add minced garlic and cook until you can just smell the garlic

10. Stir in tomatoes (cored and chopped - some folks like to peel their tomatoes but a little skin doesn't bother me)

11. Cook for about 5 minutes or until they start to release their juices

12. Gently add in the eggplant and zucchini until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined

13. Cook until just heated all the way through

14. Add parsley, basil and thyme

15. Sample - Adjust seasonings and add salt and pepper to taste

Serve with a crusty French or Italian bread and glass of wine.

This provides almost an entire day's servings of vegetables in one dish from a wide palate of colors (purple, red, white, green or yellow) so enjoy the bounty of summer!

Nutrition Information

217.5	Calories
20.6 g	Carbohydrates
7.1 g	Fiber
12.5 g	Sugar
14 g	Fat
2 g	Saturated Fat
6.7 g	Protein
159 mg	Sodium

 

 

 

 

 

 Costa Rica Travel Corp. will donate a portion of the proceeds to and is a sponsor of Defeat Diabetes Foundation.