I refuse to tap out and admit summer is coming to an end. However, with the seasons winding down there is a beautiful abundance of vegetables, especially tomatoes and vine ripe vegetables like eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash. Today’s recipe employs all of the above deliciously and the ingredients are calling your name right now at the Farmer’s Market in Heinen’s Produce Department.
Ratatouille is a traditional country dish from the Provence region of France. It is fresh and bright with layers of simple flavors, colorful veggies on a bed of garlicky tomato sauce. It is a great, low-calorie way to start the week. Serve it with grilled bread or tossed with pasta. I like the cold leftovers as a sandwich on grilled or toasted country bread with a bit of mayo. This is a perfect dish for meatless Monday.
Ratatouille
INGREDIENTS
for 8 servings
VEGGIES
- 2 eggplants
- 6-8 roma tomatoes
- 2 yellow squashes
- 2 zucchinis
SAUCE
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 1 oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, from 8-10 leaves
HERB SEASONING
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, from 8-10 leaves
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons Chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
METHOD
Preheat the oven for 375˚F (190˚C).
- Slice the eggplants, tomatoes, squash, and zucchini into approximately ¹⁄₁₆-inch rounds, then set aside.
- Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Sauté onion, garlic, and bell peppers until soft, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add the crushed tomatoes. Stir until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Remove from heat, then add the basil. Stir once more, then smooth the surface of the sauce with a spatula.
- Arrange the sliced veggies in alternating patterns, (for example, eggplant, tomato, squash, zucchini) on top of the sauce from the outer edge to the middle of the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, then bake for another 20 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.
- Mix herb seasoning ingredients and pour over the cooked ratatouille.
- Serve while hot as a main dish or side. The ratatouille is also excellent the next day–cover with foil and reheat in a 350˚F (180˚C) oven for 15 minutes, or simply microwave to desired temperature.
- Enjoy!
About the Author
Photographer Sally Roeckell specializes in contemporary lifestyle portraiture with an emphasis on food photography. Her Blog, Table and Dish is a website devoted to celebrating and curating the many ways that food binds us. Sally hopes that her recipes and images will inspire you to gather your friends and family in the kitchen to make memories, use the time to connect with busy kids, chat over mixing bowls, get messy, laugh, sing, set the table, clear the table, pass the salt, debate the days topics and pray. You can follow her here as a weekly contributor to 365Barrington and Heinen’s as well as via Table and Dish on Instagram and on her website at TableAndDish.com.
Have you heard about Heinen’s Tasteful Rewards™ program? Sign up for free to receive exclusive weekly specials via email and earn Heinen’s rewards. As a Tasteful Rewards™ membership benefit, Heinen’s will donate up to 1% of your qualified purchases made between September and April to a local school of your choice through their Teaming Up for Education Program. CLICK HERE to sign up for Heinen’s Tasteful Rewards™ and, trust me, this is one email that will always please your palate!
Heinen’s Grocery is located at 500 N. Hough Street, between E. Main Street and Route 14 (next to Meatheads) in Barrington, Illinois. They’re open 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit Heinens.com.
