Summer Squash Ratatouille Food

RATATOUILLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit with one rack in the middle of the oven and one in the upper third of the oven. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper for easy clean-up, if desired.
• To prepare your tomatoes, remove any woody cores with a paring knife. Then, grate them on the large holes of a box grater into a bowl (this is easiest if you hold the tomato at a diagonal), and chop any remaining tomato skin. Or, blitz the tomatoes in a food processor until they are broken into a frothy pulp. Set aside.
• On one baking sheet, toss the diced eggplant with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until lightly coated. Arrange the eggplant in a single layer across the pan, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and set aside.
• On the other baking sheet, toss the bell pepper, zucchini and yellow squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer. Place the eggplant pan on the middle rack and the other vegetables on the top rack. Set the timer for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and caramelizing on the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic, stir, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, and use a wooden spoon or sturdy silicone spatula to stir any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan into the mixture. Reduce the heat to medium-low, or as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
• Once 15 minutes are up, remove both pans from the oven, stir, and redistribute the contents of each evenly across the pans. This time, place the eggplant on the top rack and other vegetables on the middle rack.
• Bake until the eggplant is nice and golden on the edges, about 10 more minutes (the eggplant will be done sooner than the rest). Remove the eggplant from the oven, and carefully stir the eggplant into the simmering tomato sauce.
• Let the squash and bell pepper pan continue to bake until the peppers are caramelized, about 5 to 10 more minutes. Then, transfer the contents of the pan into the simmering sauce. Continue simmering for 5 more minutes to give the flavors time to meld.
• Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon olive oil, the fresh basil and red pepper flakes. Crumble the dried oregano between your fingers as you drop it into the pot. Season to taste with additional salt (I usually add 1/4 teaspoon more) and black pepper.
• Serve in bowls, perhaps with a little drizzle of olive oil, additional chopped basil, or black pepper on top (all optional). Like all stews, this ratatouille's flavor improves as it cools. It's even better reheated the next day. Ratatouille keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for 4 days, or for several months in the freezer.

EASY RATATOUILLE RECIPE

Steps:

• Place eggplant pieces in a large colander over your sink. Sprinkle with salt. Leave for 20 minutes as the eggplant sweats out its bitterness. Pat dry to remove water and excess salt.
• In a large heavy pot or Dutch Oven, heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the onions. Cook, stirring regularly, until translucent (about 5 minutes). Now add the red peppers and green peppers, cook for another 4 minutes, and continue to stir.
• Add the garlic, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, wine, and fresh thyme springs. Stir in black pepper, paprika, and rosemary. Season with kosher salt.
• Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice. Turn the heat down then cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes or so.
• Remove the ratatouille from the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Add the sherry vinegar and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Top with fresh basil.
• To serve, transfer the ratatouille to dinner bowls, top each with a fried egg (sunny-side up) and add crusty bread on the side. (See Cook's Tip)

RATATOUILLE

Steps:

• Coat a large wide pan with olive oil. Add the onions, season with salt and crushed red pepper and bring the pan to a medium heat. Cook the onions until they are soft and very aromatic but have no color, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, 1/2 cup water, thyme bundle and season with salt. Cook the tomatoes until they become very pulpy and have broken apart, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add the peppers and cook for 5 minutes. Add the eggplant, summer squash and zucchini, season with salt and cook until the squash is soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Stir in the basil and taste to make sure the seasoning is correct. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SUMMER SQUASH RATATOUILLE

Steps:

• 1. Slice onions and place in a large 6-8 quart dutch oven or stock pot. Mince the garlic and add to the pot with the olive oil. Saute over medium heat, just until the onions are slightly translucent and both onions and garlic have released their aroma. Turn off the heat.
• 2. Quarter squashes, then slice into 1" chunks. (Note- if they are slightly larger than recommended, remove some of the seeds, and try not to use squashes whose skins have "toughened", it will affect the overall texture.)Place in the pot with sauteed items.
• 3. Add the diced tomatoes, and sauce or puree. Add the basil, and the grated cheese, and about 1 1/2 tsp. of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper (to start)
• 4. Stir gently to mix all ingredients. Simmer, covered, on a medium-low to medium heat for 30-25 minutes until the squash are tender when pierced with a fork. Check and stir frequently to insure it is not scorching or sticking to the bottom of the pan. Toward the end of the cooking time taste and adjust salt & pepper if desired.
• 5. NOTES-This makes a wonderful side dish to accompany most anything! When serving, if desired, top with a bit more grated cheese and garnish with fresh basil or parsley. I have also used it as a vegetarian main dish by serving over cooked, brown rice with a nice green/veggie salad. As I said before, if you have a lot of leftovers, it keeps well in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, and can also be frozen or canned with a water bath canning process. ** The leftovers, after being refrigerated, also make a refreshing cold summer soup by placing the ratatouille in a food processor and pulsing several times until it is pureed, but still slightly chunky!

THE BEST RATATOUILLE

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add the bell peppers, onion and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and the bell peppers have softened slightly, about 10 minutes. Add the eggplant, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the eggplant is very soft, about 8 minutes. Add the zucchini and continue to cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste and red pepper flakes, if using. Cook, stirring often, until the zucchini has softened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the ratatouille has reached a thick stew-like consistency, about 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and basil with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into a bowl and sprinkle with more fresh parsley and basil before serving.

ROASTED SUMMER RATATOUILLE

Steps:

• Put an oven rack at the top of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Toss the patty pan squash, eggplant, 4 sprigs of thyme, 3 sprigs of marjoram, the fennel, onion, haricot vert and crookneck squash with the olive oil until coated. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables on a baking sheet and roast until tender and browned, about 15 minutes. Discard the sprigs of thyme and marjoram.
• Transfer the roasted vegetables to a large mixing bowl. Add the thyme and marjoram leaves, the parsley and the Garlic-Chili-Tomato Butter and mix well. Taste, and season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until it is crisp and the fat is rendered.
• Once the bacon has rendered all the fat, add the onion, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. (If the pan seems dry while you are cooking the onion, add some of the olive oil.) Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and the crushed red pepper flakes stir to toast for just 15 seconds. Stir in the diced tomatoes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the excess liquid has almost completely cooked away.
• Put the mixture in a blender and puree until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Use a wooden spoon to work the butter into the tomato mixture until combined. If you are not using the butter right away, cover it and chill it until you do. Makes 3/4 cup.

RATATOUILLE OF SUMMER SQUASH AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Cook the pasta according to package directions.
• While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat and add the onion. It's important to keep the butter from browning. When the onion begins to turn translucent (after about 2-3 minutes), add the sugar and continue sauteeing the onion, stirring frequently, until it just begins to caramelize (about 5-7 minutes).
• Add the bell pepper, garlic and pine nuts and continue cooking over medium heat for another minute or so. Stir frequently to keep the garlic from browning.
• Add the squash and white wine, stirring to deglaze the pan and combine the ingredients.
• Mix the tomato paste and water until well-combined. After another minute or so, once the squash has begun to "wilt," add the tomatoes, oregano and tomato paste and water mixture, stirring to combine the ingredients and coat them with the tomato paste and water mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
• Stir in the basil just before serving.
• Serve over the pasta with a generous topping of Parmesan cheese.

SUMMER VEGETABLE RATATOUILLE

Steps:

• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft.
• In a large skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and saute the zucchini in batches until slightly browned on all sides. Remove the zucchini and place in the pot with the onions and garlic.
• Saute all the remaining vegetables one batch at a time, adding 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet each time you add a new set of vegetables. Once each batch has been sauteed add them to the large pot as was done in step 2.
• Season with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaf and thyme and cover the pot. Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and parsley to the large pot, cook another 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
• Remove the bay leaf and adjust seasoning.