French get it right with mix of veggies

Published 10:50 am Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Take a humble jumble of fresh vegetables, slice, dice, chop, mince and smash, bake or saute, zap with certain seasonings, then slide the whole shebang into the oven, and ooh-la-la! Ratatouille!

Speaking of which, Everett cook Molly Deardorff tells us, “How timely I should see your Sept. 2 Forum article!

“I just made an amazing batch of ratatouille that I am currently enjoying slathered over a crusty, toasted baguette. This recipe is out of ‘Provencal Light’ by Martha Rose Shulman.

“As a gardener, it was a great recipe for me to use up my vegetable bounty from this unusually hot summer.

“I did make the mistake of making it on a weeknight — it is not a difficult recipe, but it is long. I should have known we can’t achieve French flavor on an American timeline!’’

Since what author Shulman has to say sounds almost as delicious to me as our “Molly says,’’ let’s all grab a bib and take a taste of that before we get to the step-by-step construction of this classic French dish:

“Ratatouille is a dish that you can keep improving on; each time I use a new technique, I’m convinced that I’ve come up with the best ratatouille yet.

“That’s certainly the case here: all of the vegetables are sauteed briefly, then baked together in an earthenware dish in a low oven.

“The mixture cooks very slowly, and as the vegetables gradually soften or ‘melt,’ they give forth a marvelous, fragrant broth, which is reduced to a heady syrup at the end and mixed back into the vegetables.’’

Shulman goes on to say, “Amazingly enough, this dish, whose name derives from the French word touiller, meaning to stir or mix together, did not always have positive connotations.

“According to ‘Larousse Gastronomique,’ it was once known as a ‘not very appetizing stew.’ Luckily, all that has changed now, and in France it is popular as both side dish and a starter.

“I like it either cold or hot and always try to make it a day or two before I’m going to serve it, because the flavors develop overnight.

“Ratatouille also makes a great filling for ravioli, crepes and omelets and can be mixed with eggs and Parmesan or Gruyere and baked in a crust for a terrific tart.’’

Now for:

Ratatouille

2pounds (3-4 small or 2 large) eggplant

2tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided

2large onions, sliced

6large garlic cloves, 4 sliced or minced, 2 put through a press or pureed, divided

1large red bell pepper, cut into slices about 1-inch thick by 2-inches long

1large green bell pepper, cut into slices about 1-inch thick by 2-inches long

Coarse sea salt to taste

1 1/2pounds (3 medium-size) zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced about 1/2-inch thick

4large or 6 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped, divided

1tablespoon tomato paste

1bay leaf

2teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon crushed dried

1teaspoon crushed dried oregano or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh

1/2teaspoon crushed coriander seeds

Freshly ground pepper to taste

4-6tablespoons fresh basil leaves, cut into slivers

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, then score them lengthwise down the cut side, being careful not to cut through the skin. Brush a baking sheet with about 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and place the eggplant on it cut side down. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the skins begin to shrivel. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. When cool enough to handle, cut into 1/2-inch to 1-inch dice, to taste. If you wish, you can peel the eggplant before dicing. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining vegetables.

Turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Brush a lidded earthenware casserole with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add 2 of the sliced or minced garlic cloves and cook, stirring for another 4 or 5 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to the casserole.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and add the peppers. After a couple of minutes, add about 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt and continue to cook, stirring, until the peppers begin to soften.

Add the zucchini and 2 more sliced or chopped garlic cloves and continue to cook together with the peppers for 5 minutes or until the zucchini begins to look a little translucent.

Transfer to the casserole with the onions. Add the diced eggplant and half the tomatoes to the casserole along with the tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, coriander, and about a teaspoon of coarse salt. Toss everything together, cover, and place in the oven.

Bake the ratatouille for 1 1/2 hours. After the first half-hour, give the stew a good stir. After 1 hour, add the remaining tomatoes and the pressed or pureed garlic and adjust the salt. Add pepper and bake for the last 30 minutes. Stir in the basil, cover, and return to the oven. Turn off the heat and leave the ratatouille in the oven for another hour.

Place a colander over a bowl and drain the juices off the ratatouille. Transfer the juices to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce by half. Return the ratatouille to the earthenware dish and stir in the juices. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve hot or cold.

Makes 6 servings.

Advance preparation: Ratatouille is best made a day ahead of time and will keep for 4 or 5 days in the refrigerator. It can be frozen.

The next Forum will appear in Friday’s comics pages.