Really Megan? I tried all the "mommy coaching" I could to encourage her to pick something we would actually WANT to eat for dinner, but that child had her mind SET on Ratatouille (sheesshhhh, we need to pick recipes I can spell more easily next time!)
I think Megan has such a heart for this recipe because we had made it together when she was in kindergarten. Each student was asked to bring in a recipe that represented their nationality, and so for us being French, AND the new movie coming out - Megan wanted to make Ratatouille. The experience was so fun and she loved the dish so much that I think she logged that recipe in her little food brain as a keeper of fond memories with mom...or at least that's how I am choosing to see it! :)
So...this is the recipe we used as our foundation - it is from Julia Child's cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" ...but we made some modifications based on our tastes & cooking methods.
- 1/2 lb. eggplant (not the best time of year to buy eggplant & I tried to use that as an out with Megan...she wasn't buying it!!)
- 1/2 lb. zucchini
- 4 tb. olive oil or more if needed - we didn't measure!
- 1/2 lb sliced yellow onions
- 2 green bell peppers seeded & sliced - we used 1 ...it seemed to be enough
- 2 cloves of garlic mashed - we used our garlic press
- 1 lb of firm but ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded & juiced to make 1 1/2 cups of tomato pulp (again, not the best time of year to buy tomatoes, but as we shopped, we found yummy organic expensive ripe tomatoes! nothing like the juicy, delicious, mouth-watering tomatoes you can get at Smith's Farm in the summer!!)
- 3 tb. fresh parsley - and we added 1 tb of fresh thyme to the eggplant because they go so well together!
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Peel the eggplant & slice into about 3 inch strips. Slice the zucchini the same way. We tossed them both with a little salt & let sit for about 20 minutes to draw all of the water out of the eggplant & zucchini so they would roast up easier. In the meantime, we sliced up the onions, bell peppers & tomatoes. Watch Meg's video on how she peeled, sliced & juiced the tomatoes :) we ended up with HALF of what we needed because she kept eating them as she sliced them up!
The recipe then says to sautee each vegetable, one at a time in a skillet using the olive oil. We decided it would be easier to to roast the eggplant & zucchini in the oven, so we tossed them with olive oil, threw them on a baking sheet & roasted in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until golden brown. While those were in the oven, we sauteed the onions and green peppers over medium heat until softened. Then we added the garlic and cooked for about another 3 minutes.
We pulled the veggies out of the oven & we were ready to assemble! In a covered baking dish, Megan layered each vegetable - Onions and peppers mixture, then eggplant, then zucchini, then tomatoes, and a sprinkle of the parsley. Repeat layering until all of the veggies are gone - we ended up with 2 layers.
We topped with a sprinkling of olive oil and popped in a 350 degree oven for about 30-45 minutes!
While the Ratatouille is in the oven, Megan had the pleasure of cleaning up her mess! :) ...while Mama went & boiled up some pasta & bbq'd a few steaks to complete our dinner. So after about 45 minutes in the oven, which seemed like a LIFE TIME to Megan...her masterpiece came out of the oven.
It was SOOOOOOO delicious! Megan had TWO huge servings & saved a bowl for after school today. The olive oil & juices from the veggies made a great topping for the pasta.
So until next time.....
BON APPETIT!
Mama & Megan
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