Ratatouille
It’s a stinking hot day here today — 42C (107F) — and I’m eating ratatouille. Cold, of course. I made a big batch a couple of days ago. I like it hot, but it ‘s also delicious cold.
I first made ratatouille when I was a student, living in a shared house. I’d bought the Penguin paperback of French Provincial Cooking by Elizabeth David, which had plenty of good vegetable dishes, which was necessary for us, as one of the housemates (mentioning no names) used to use up most of the house budget for food on special things he cooked for his girlfriend — just her, not the rest of us!—and leaving us with just mince and veggies for the rest of the week. (You learn a lot about people sharing a house.)
Anyway, since that first time, I’ve made ratatouille many times, especially in summer, where there is often a glut of zucchini and tomatoes. All you need is eggplant (aubergine), onion, capsicums (I prefer the red ones), zucchini and tomatoes, and some garlic and herbs. I make mine the simplest way possible — all in one large saucepan on top of the stove.
The other day, while it was cooking, I surfed the net looking at other recipes — I often do that, look up recipes after I’ve cooked! — and wow, were there ever some complicated ones. Some say you need to cook each vegetable separately — too fiddly for me, for what I suspect would be not a lot of difference. Anyway I like that the flavors meld.
Another cooked the sauce then arranged the veggies vertically on top of it in a spiral pattern and then baked it. It might look good for a dinner party, but otherwise I prefer my much simpler, less fussy method.
All I do is chop the veggies, sauté the onion in olive oil, then add the rest. I toss in some herbs — usually fresh thyme, a bayleaf or two, dried basil and oregano. I also use canned tomatoes, which saves time peeling them. Then let simmer for 40 or so minutes et voila!~ delicious ratatouille. And it’s not just yummy hot, it’s delicious cold, and the flavor gets better the next day.
Have you ever cooked ratatouille? Do you like it?
I certainly have and think my first recipe for ratatouille was from the Elizabeth David’s book, French Provincial Cooking. I had a boxed set of Elizabeth David’s cook books. However, I had an earlier introduction to Ms. David. She wrote a column in one of the UK Sunday Papers (Observer ? Sunday Times ?) It was one of the first things my father read. Later he would cut out the article & present it to my mother ! Ratatouille is a great comfort food in both winter or summer. A final thought, it is snowing heavily here in Ottawa while… Read more »
Thanks, Joan. I don’t just love her recipes, I love her writing — really evocative prose in places. And in this day when TV chefs use a squiilion different ingredients so you end up not tasting the actual basis of the dish, it’s lovely to go back to simple delicious food.
Keep warm in Ottowa, Joan and I’ll try to stay cool here. <g>
I have made it numerous times and I agree with you that it is delicious hot or cold. Yummy!
Thanks, Connie. I was shocked when someone I know who portrays herself as something of a kitchen goddess admitted she’d never cooked eggplant (aubergine). Why? I asked. She said she’d never come across it before.