Although I didn't see the Disney movie about that culinary whiz/rodent in the theater, I distinctly remember watching it. We were on our way to Santa Fe for a vacation and had borrowed a portable DVD player and several movies for the trip. Paris? Food? Sounded good to me. I tried to keep an open mind, but about the time that the cavalcade of rodents came pouring out of the ceiling, I reached for the door handle whispering, "No, no, no! Get me out! Shut it off!"
It's not that I wanted the little pests, I mean, sous chefs to be killed, it's just that my tolerance for insects, rodents and anything uninvited in my presence is dwindling as I get older. I didn't enjoy watching what's his name (Nick? Joe?) get chased around with a butcher knife, but I certainly didn't want to see him adjusting seasoning, either.
It's taken considerable time to stop associating the wonderful meal with the movie, but the recipe below has helped nudge me along. I first heard of the book "A Homemade Life" when it came up as a suggestion on Amazon and immediately requested it from the library (I'm more of a try-before-you-buy kind of girl when it comes to books). I was immediately disappointed when I realized that it was a collection of blogs from Molly Wizenberg, author of the blog Orangette and not just a full cookbook. But once I opened it I was delighted to find that the posts were short enough to entertain while giving a back-story and the recipes I've tried so far have been delicious. Since then I've found several that I've referenced frequently and have loved sharing.
You can roll your r's all you like but the odds of getting a three-year old to eat this dish are slim and you know what? That's actually okay because there's just more for me!
Roasted Eggplant Ratatouille
1 pound eggplant, sliced crosswise into 1-inch-thick rounds
Olive oil
1 pound zucchini, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick half moons
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
4 large cloves garlic, thinlly sliced
5 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400F.
Arrange the eggplant rounds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the slices with olive oil, flip and brush the second side. Bake 30 minutes, turning once, until lightly browned on each side. Remove from the oven and cool. Cut into rough 1-inch pieces. Set aside. (You can do this a day or two ahead, refrigerating the eggplant until you're ready to use it. It'll make the final dish a little quicker to prepare.)
Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or large, deep skillet. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and just tender, 10-12 minutes. Remove zucchini from the pan, taking care to leave behind any excess oil, and set aside.
If there is no oil left in the pan, add about 1 tablespoon. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, thyme and bay leaf and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the eggplant and zucchini, stir to incorporate and cook until everything is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes more. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Discard the bay leaf and stir in the basil.
Cook's Note: Orangette recommends making at least one day in advance to allow the flavors to blend and I totally agree. I've also tossed in a splash of broth on the second day to make it a bit soupier for eating with bread and have tossed it with pasta. Both are wonderful!
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