A Local Ratatouille

Sunday, July 22, 2007

I just saw the movie Ratatouille this weekend-- I enjoyed every delicious minute of it. Completely coincidentally, I also had an abundance of tomatoes and eggplant from my CSA as well as some from a gardening friend of mine. So heck, I thought-- why not make ratatouille?

I’m particularly fond of thin Asian eggplants-- they tend to be meatier and less bitter than their larger counterparts. I like to cook them so that they’re caramelized. The secret ingredient in the making of this dish? Fennel bulbs.

Here’s the recipe, adapted from The Joy of Cooking (1997). The bold items were locally grown.

1 lb. eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 lb. zucchini, cubed (I omitted this because I didn’t have any on hand)
1 1/2 cups sliced onions
2 small bulbs fennel
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cups tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
a couple sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
olive oil
salt and pepper

Saute the eggplant (and zucchini) in oil in a large skillet until golden. Remove from skillet, and add onions and a little more oil and cook until tender. Then add fennel and garlic, season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Add eggplant (and zucchini) and cook until everything is tender. Adjust the seasoning if needed. Finish with the basil, serve over rice or pasta.