We ended up getting a collection of fantastic summer veggies from our local Community Supported Agriculture Share- Orange Cat Community Farm.* I couldn’t wait to make this reeks-of-summer dish with the tomatoes, summer squash, onion, and eggplant we received in the share, along with some basil, parsley and thyme from my own yard. I know I already discussed Ratatouille in a previous post last summer/late fall, but I just can’t help myself I love it so much. It’s like warm apple cider in the fall or asparagus in the spring… Ratatouille IS summer bounty. And this time I have an actual recipe instead of just suggestions.

Ingredients

for 6 servings 

Nutrition info/serving: Calories 164, Fat 5 g, Carbs 26 g, Fiber 8 grams, Sugar 15 g, Protein 5 g

VEGGIES!

The numbers are empiric; the idea is to have about equal numbers of slices of all the different colored veggies, so if that’s 2 large brandywine tomatoes cut to fit or 20 cherry tomatoes or 6 roma, as long as you’re eating the veggies that’s all that counts… and if the colors alternate it’s pretty, too.
  • 2 eggplants
  • 6 roma tomatoes
  • 2 yellow squashes
  • 2 zucchinis
  • 2 lemons plus extra juice to squeeze on top

SAUCE

  • img_81692 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced.  Also a dash of smoked or roasted garlic powder is always a nice addition if you have it.
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste (freshly ground is the most yummy)
  • 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, from 8-10 leaves

HERB SEASONING

  • img_81792 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, from 8-10 leaves
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons Chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme (or tarragon)
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil

  1. Preheat the oven for 375˚F.
  2. Slice the eggplant, tomatoes, squash, zucchini and lemon into approximately ¹⁄₁₆-inch (1-mm) rounds, then set aside. If you have a mandoline, that makes this really easy.
  3. Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, and bell peppers until soft, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add the crushed tomatoes. Stir until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Remove from heat, then add the basil. Stir once more, then smooth the surface of the sauce with a spatula.
  4. Arrange the sliced veggies and lemon in alternating patterns, (for example, eggplant, tomato, squash, zucchini) on top of the sauce from the outer edge to the middle of the pan. Stick a lemon slice in there every so often until the entire two lemons are used up. Season with salt and pepper, spritz with a little more lemon juice either from another lemon or a container of lemon juice. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, then bake for another 20 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.
  5. Mix herb seasoning ingredients and pour over the cooked ratatouille.
  6. Serve while hot as a main dish or side. The ratatouille is also excellent the next day–cover with foil and reheat in a 350˚F (180˚C) oven for 15 minutes, or simply microwave to desired temperature.
  7. Enjoy!

*Regarding Orange Cat Community Farm– it’s a great local Community Supported Agriculture farm to support, meaning you don’t ship veggies in from California on a truck or a plane to eat them… they are grown right where we live so it is fresher, tastes amazing every time, and keeps money and resources in our local community!