Foodie's
Corner.
Recipe
of the Month -Ratatouille
Ratatouille
is a typical, tasty vegetable dish from the south of France served either hot or cold,
as a main course, or to garnish grilled meat or fish dishes.
Ingredients
Serves
4
8
fresh ripe tomatoes (about 2 cups)
4
medium-sized green zucchinis
1
small cooking onion
1
small red onion
1
yellow pepper, ribs and seeds taken out
1
red bell pepper, ribs and seeds taken out
4
cloves of garlic, minced
4
tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
bay
leaf
10
sprigs thyme
1
teaspoon Herbs of Provence
sea
salt, to taste
freshly
ground black pepper, to taste
½
cup shredded fresh basil leaves
Method:
1)
Prepare all vegetables and pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F.
2)
Blanch fresh tomatoes by placing tomatoes into a pot of boiling water (keeping
the tomatoes submerged for 20 seconds), remove to a cold water bath. Peel the
skin, and slice, widthwise, into 1 ½ cm rounds.
3)
Slice zucchinis into ½ cm thin rounds (you can use a mandolin).
4)
Slice the onions into long narrow thin strips (1 cm in width), do the same for
the peppers and mince garlic cloves.
5)
Heat a large non-stick skillet with olive oil over medium heat. When nice and hot sauté the minced garlic for
1 minute (don't brown), then add the onion, bay leaf, and 2 sprigs of thyme,
and cook down the onions until they are soft but not browned. Then, add the peppers and a nice, big pinch
of salt. Allow the peppers to cook-down
to the point that they are soft.
6)
Remove the bay leaf and thyme. Add this
mixture to a standard 9/13" casserole dish, covering the bottom of the
dish.
7)
Layer the zucchini and tomato slices on top, alternating in a decorative circle
and overlapping each zucchini and tomato over the next piece very tightly. Follow the shape of the casserole dish for
the pattern. Sprinkle some salt, a
little black pepper and Herbs de Provence on top (see Chef's Note).
8)
Cover the dish with tin-foil and place in the oven for 45 minutes. After that time, remove tin-foil and bake for
another 20 minutes, or until all of the excess liquid in the pan is
absorbed. Remove, let cool for a few
minutes, garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!
Chef's
Note:
Here
is how to make your very own Herbs de Provence, the famous mixture of herbs
commonly found in the south of France.
Mix together 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp ground rosemary, 1 tsp summer savory, 1/2
tsp lavender (optional but traditional), 1 tsp marjoram, 1 tsp dried basil, ½
tsp dried sage, ½ tsp dried oregano.
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Crush slightly with a pestle or
the back of a spoon. Store in an
airtight container.
