Ratatouille

Ratatouille
This is Julia Child’s time-honored, exquisitely balanced, extremely delicious recipe. It retains the individual flavors of each vegetable and avoids soupiness. Definitely worth the little extra trouble.
Yield
3-4 Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb eggplant
  • 1 lb zucchini
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4-6 Tablespoon olive or coconut oil
  • 1/2 lb thinly sliced yellow onions
  • 2 sliced red or green peppers (about a cup)
  • 2 cloves mashed garlic
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 lb firm ripe red tomatoes, peeled, seeded and juiced
  • 3 Tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
  1. Peel the eggplant and cut into lengthwise slices 3/8" thick, about 3" long and 1" wide. Scrub the zucchini, slice off the two ends and cut into slices about the same size as the eggplant. Place the vegetables in a bowl and toss in the salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain and dry each slice in a towel.
  2. One layer at a time, sauté the eggplant and then the zucchini in the hot oil in a 10-12" skillet for about a minute on each side to brown very lightly. Remove to a side dish.
  3. In the same skillet, cook the onions and peppers (add an additional 2 Tablespoons of oil if needed) for about 10 minutes, until tender but not browned. Stir in the garlic and season with salt & pepper to taste.
  4. To peel, seed and juice the tomatoes, dip each one into boiling water for a second. The skin will break. Slide the skin off. Halve the tomato and rinse the seeds out under the tap, or remove by hand. Then slice the tomato pulp into 3/8" strips.
  5. Lay the tomato strips over the onions and peppers. Season with salt & pepper. Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until tomatoes have begun to render their juice. Uncover, taste the tomatoes with the juices, raise heat and boil for several minutes until juice has almost entirely evaporated.
  6. Place a third of the tomato mixture in the bottom of a 2 1/2 quart casserole (about 2 1/2" deep). Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of fresh, minced parsley over tomatoes. Arrange half of the eggplant and zucchini on top, then half the remaining tomatoes and parsley. Put in the rest of the eggplant and zucchini and finish with the remaining tomatoes and parsley.
  7. Cover the casserole and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover, tip the casserole and baste with the rendered juices. Correct seasoning if necessary. Raise heat slightly and cook uncovered about 15 minutes more, basting several times, until juices have evaporated leaving a spoonful or two of flavored oil. Be careful of your heat; do not let the vegetables scorch in the bottom of the casserole!
  8. Serve! Delicious with fresh bread, quinoa or any kind of grain. Enjoy!