Pass the Book and the Roasted Eggplant Ratatouille

 

It's time for me to Pass the Book! To learn about Pass the Book check out Sian's info over at From High In the Sky. I was lucky to have my name drawn when Melissa was ready to pass on A Homemade Life stories and recipes from my kitchen table by Molly Wizenberg.

 Wizenburg is a freelance food writer and creator of the award winning blog Orangette. She is a regular contributor to Bon Appetit and has had her writing featured on NPR.org and PBS.org.  As Wizenberg shares her childhood and early adulthood with us she shares recipes that are woven into her life. The sharing of the recipes flows from the telling of the story and you are eager to read them.


One of the recipes I was drawn to was the Roasted Eggplant Ratatouille. I have never been a big fan of eggplant but in the last year I have grown to really enjoy it. It was a key ingredient in the recipe for the French Roasted Vegetable Sandwich that I shared in the May Lighten Up blog hop. If you would like to have a chance at having A Homemade Life passed on to you please leave a comment and include your email address. I will be drawing a name on Friday, June 24th. There are a few stipulations to receiving the book, the biggest being that you must have a blog (otherwise you won't be able to Pass It On in the spirit intended). For more details please click on the link to Sian's post above.

So without further ado let's make some

Roasted Eggplant Ratatouille!

INGREDIENTS

words in italics are mine not Molly's

1 pound of eggplant (which I have learned from blogging friends is called aubergine in the UK) sliced

        crosswise into 1 inch thick rounds

olive oil

1 pound zucchini (UK = courgette) trimmed, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/2 inch thick half moons

1 medium yellow onion sliced thinly

1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped coarsely

4 large garlic cloves, thinly 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

RECIPE

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, rack should be in middle of oven

Arrange the eggplant rounds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour olive oil into a small bowl then brush onto each round, flip rounds and brush other side.

Bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway through. Eggplant should be soft and lightly browned. remove and cool completely before cutting into 1 inch chunks. Set aside. (May be done 1-2 days ahead of time and refrigerated)

Warm 2 T olive oil over med high heat in a Dutch oven or large, deep skillet. Add zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally until golden and just tender (10-12 minutes) Remove from pot, taking care to leave any excess oil.

If there is no oil in pot add 1T olive oil otherwise continue. Reduce heat to medium and add onion, cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened (4-5 min).

Add bell pepper and garlic stirring occasionally, cooking until tender but not browned (@6 min)

Add the tomatoes, salt, thyme and bay leaf stirring to combine. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes.

Add eggplant and zucchini, stir to incorporate and cook until everything is tender 15-20 minutes or more (10 minutes). Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Discard of bay leaf and stir in basil.

Serve hot, room temp or cold with additional salt for sprinkling.

NOTE: Ratatouille is even better on the second day or the third. if you can, plan to make it ahead of time, so that flavors have time to meld and ripen.

YIELDS: 4 servings (I served with roasted chicken, cheese and a rustic bread and had 8 servings)

Don't forget to leave a comment with your email address if you want to be in the drawing for Pass the Book. And even if you don't have a blog to participate comments are always much loved. Thanks and have a glorious day!

Today is a PASS THE BOOK  extravaganza!!!! Sian is passing a book here  and Deb is passing here. Both are delightful ladies who write awesome blogs :)