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Fall is on the horizon. Pumpkins, apples, and other fall decor are showing up everywhere -it’s already Halloween at our local Pottery Barn. But here’s the thing – IT’S STILL SUMMER. While fall is one of my favorite seasons, we really ought to savor the last days of summer and the bountiful harvest they provide. Late summer is the season of the nightshades which means it is the season of ratatouille. I don’t know about you, but I love ratatouille and I will be making loads of it over the next couple of weeks. If you are looking for a dish that showcases the best of the seasonal harvest, try this late summer ratatouille! In addition to being delicious, it’s also very healthy and paleo/vegetarian/vegan friendly.
On Ratatouille
I love making ratatouille. Each season I experiment with at least one new ratatouille recipe. A few years ago I tried Julia Child’s ratatouille recipe which required cooking every ingredient separately. I’ve also tried a few of those recipes where you use a madoline to slice each ingredient super fine and then layer them in a beautiful swirl of color. For those of you that have seen the film “Ratatouille”, I think this approach is most similar to Remy’s recipe.
Though all the recipes I’ve tried have been wonderful, this non-fussy stove top version is still my favorite. It’s the way my mom taught me to make ratatouille many years ago. While I’m sure I will continue to try new ratatouille recipes, I always start the season with this one.
Late Summer Ratatouille Recipe
While this recipe is super easy, it does require a bit of time – 30 or so minutes of active chopping time plus an hour or two for the veggies simmer. The cooking process is simple. You begin by slicing and salting the eggplant. It needs to sit for about 30 minutes to allow the salt to draw out the bitter juices. While the eggplant sits, you begin dicing all the other veggies and adding them to the pot as you go – onions first, then peppers, garlic, squash, tomatoes and tomato paste. Once this process is finished you sautee the eggplant in a separate pan and then transfer it to the rest of the veggies. Now you just have to add the dried herbs and let it simmer for an hour or two.
Late Summer Ratatouille
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Description
This is an easy stove top version of ratatouille. It’s not hard but it does require a bit of time – 30 or so minutes of active chopping time plus an hour or two for the veggies simmer. It’s a perfect recipe for a Sunday afternoon.
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 4–5 large garlic cloves
- 2 zucchini
- 1 yellow summer squash
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 to 4 large tomatoes (I grab a mix of whichever kinds look best from the farmers market)
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- fresh basil, oregano, and parmesan for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Slice the eggplant into ¼ inch thick disks. Place the disks in a large colander 1 at a time sprinkling each with salt. Let the eggplant sit for at least 30 minutes – the salt will draw out the bitter juices
- Roughly dice the onion. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in large dutch oven and add onion.
- Next dice the peppers, garlic, summer squash, and tomatoes. Add each ingredient to the pot as soon as its chopped. Stir the veggies occasionally as you work.
- Add the tomato paste to pot along with dried herbs and lower heat to a simmer.
- Rinse the salted eggplant and pat dry. Dice the eggplant slices into ¼ inch cubes.
- Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in large skillet. Sautee eggplant over medium heat until tender (approx 10 minutes).
- Transfer eggplant to dutch oven with the rest of the veggies. cook on low for 1-2 hours.
Notes
You can substitute a 32 oz can of tomatoes for fresh tomatoes. I use the whole San Marzano tomatoes if I’m not using fresh tomatoes. I typically only use fresh tomatoes when they are in season.
Stay tuned for more late summer harvest recipes!!!
