eurydicebound

A couple of months ago, I took the kids to see Ratatouille. They enjoyed the movie tremendously, and then, as we were exiting, asked if I could make ratatouille, the movie's signature dish. I had never made it or eaten it and had a sneaking suspicion that they would not eat it, even if I did, but I instead secured a promise that they would eat it and promised them I would make it.

Fast forward until today.

Today for dinner I made ratatouille, finally. It made my kitchen far hotter than I wanted even as it used up a lot (but not all) of the veggies I really needed to use. At the end of the process, it was put in bowls and served with toast, and served up not only to my boys but to Junior, a neighborhood boy who spent the day hanging out here.

The verdict: delicious. Seconds were had. I was frankly stunned, although it was good if I say so myself. I will therefore share the recipe I used with all my gentle readers.

I used muenster cheese and dried basil, as that's what I had. Also, one of the green bell peppers had turned red between when I bought it at the store and when I used it.

Ratatouille on the Run
Makes about 3 cups.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 large eggplant (unpeeled), diced
2 green bell peppers, diced
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 ounces goat cheese or Muenster cheese or a mixture of the two, diced (optional)
preparation
Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Add eggplant, green bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, zucchini and basil. Sauté 5 minutes. Cover and simmer until all vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Uncover pot and simmer until juice thickens, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix in vinegar; season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread ratatouille in 9-inch-diameter pie dish. Sprinkle with cheese, if desired. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.
Bon Appétit, February 1995