Classic Ratatouille

We belong to our local CSA, Fresh Fork Market and just LOVE IT. Wednesdays are my favorite day of the week when we get to head to the neighborhood truck and pick up our weekly share. The bags are overflowing with the most gorgeous fruits, veggies, and since we get the Omnivore Share, meats too. It's such a fun way to not only support local farms and small businesses, but also try things you may never have picked up at the grocery store on your own. It keeps meal time exciting for sure! 

But sometimes I gotta admit on weeks when we are particularly busy (like last week!) I have to play a game of catch up to use my veggies before 1) they go bad 2) we are hit with next week's share doubling our fresh food and loosing space to store it all in my fridge! In these situations soups, stews and stir-fry's are kings in our house! And Friday was one of those days. In my crisper was zucchini, patty pan squash, eggplant, a variety of peppers and my counter tops were full of tomatoes (just to name a few!!). What was the best way to use this all up? Ratatouille of course! 

Ratatouille is a delicious vegetarian stew from the Provence region France using the best of summers bounty. It can be eaten as a side dish, spooned onto nice crusty bread, served over rice, stirred into pasta, we love it over roasted chicken and as a base instead of sauce for homemade pizza; its uses are endless! I won't lie, it is a bit of a labor of love due to lots of vegetable chopping and sauteing in batches, but its a super easy dish to throw together and can be made in advance and reheated throughout the week.  I actually think Ratatouille tastes even better the next day because then all the flavors have had a chance to meld together. It also freezes wonderfully! This recipe has become a favorite and I hope you love it as much as we do. 

Ratatouille

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 onions halved and then sliced into wedges
2 peppers, deseeded and chopped into 2" chunks
2 eggplants quartered and then chopped into 2" chunks
2 zucchini or yellow squash halved and sliced
5-6 tomatoes roughly chopped, juices and seeds included
1 can whole plum tomatoes or stewed tomatoes, undrained
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
A few sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 bunch fresh basil
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil. Once oil is hot add your chopped peppers, zucchini, and eggplant and sauté until they begin to soften and brown a bit. Do not cook through. Work in batches if needed and transfer cooked veggies to a bowl. Set aside.

Add a teaspoon of oil to the stockpot along with the garlic and onions. Sauté for 15 minutes until soft and beginning to caramelize. Add the cooked vegetables, tomatoes- fresh and canned, whole sprigs of thyme and Balsamic Vinegar to the pot. Stir well to combine, gently scraping the bottom of the pot to incorporate the wonderful brown bits into the stew. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add a good pinch of salt and fresh ground black pepper and stir well. Simmer for an additional 15-30 minutes allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken. The longer the veggies simmer, the softer and silkier they will become. Taste and adjust seasoning.  Remove the stems of the thyme and discard. Now you want to chiffonade the basil. You do this by stacking the basil leaves on top of one another and then roll up. Thinly slice the basil creating long thin strips. Sprinkle the basil into the ratatouille, reserving a bit for garnish. Stir to combine.

Serve alongside crusty bread, trust me you'll want it to sop up all the delicious sauce. Enjoy!