Chopped Ratatouille
When X showed up the other afternoon with a “surprise” (with two crates filled with veggies –including 1 kilo of eggplant, 1 kilo of zucchini, some tomatoes and onions), I knew that ratatouille was in my near future.
I’d been flipping through my cookbooks for ideas, and saw a ratatouille much like my Roasted Ratatouille, but instead, was chopped up really small, much like how you’d prepare a pico de gallo, in Alain Ducasse’s new book, “Nature.” I was in a chopping mood (actually, I’m always in a chopping mood, especially now that I have a new, super-sharp knife), so this idea really appealed to me. As I was stirring this together in the skillet, I immediately started coming up with ideas for what I could make with this bite-size rat – I could stuff it in a flour tortilla and roll it up and I’d have instant soft tacos; put it in a corn tortilla with some cheese and put a sauce on top for enchiladas; scramble it in some eggs; stuff it in hollowed-put veggies; spoon it on top of grilled fish; spread it on a pizza; or add it to pasta. Gosh, I’m starting to sound a bit Mark Bittman, aren’t I?
In the end, I just ate it as it was. But next time, I’ve got plans for this little ratatouille. Big plans.
What’s your favorite way to eat ratatouille?
Chopped Ratatouille
New small and sensible shape inspired by Alain Ducasse’s “Nature”
1 medium eggplant
1 red bell pepper
2 medium zucchini
4 medium tomatoes
1 medium white or yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon pepper
6 large leaves basil (or more if you love basil, which I do)
Chop everything about the same size, a 1/2-inch dice. Drizzle 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet, add the onion and garlic and turn the heat on medium. Once the onions cook and start to become translucent, add the eggplant, red bell pepper, tomatoes, and zucchini along with the salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the eggplant begins to soften. Remove from heat, give a stir and put in a large bowl until it cools completely (the zucchini will continue to cook and soften, so don’t worry if it looks undercooked when you remove it from heat). Add torn basil once the mixture cools, and adjust seasonings if necessary. Tastes great warm or cold.
