Friday, August 7, 2015

Roasted Ratatouille


I was just commenting the other day how I wish we could eat like this every day. Fresh from the garden or straight from the farmers market. The grocery store just can't compete during these summer months. But that's what makes us appreciate these seasonal fruits and veggies all the more!

I made this for lunch yesterday, the girls help chop veggies, munching on them as we went. They asked questions about eggplant and zucchini, declaring that they loved zucchini raw but not so much cooked. It was great to have their help, and conversation.

In the end it was only the oldest and I eating most of the dish for lunch. Which I fully expected. At least they tried, it's all I ever ask. They don't like the soft texture, and I was honest with them. It wasn't so very long ago that I preferred all of my veggies raw and with crunch. I've since grown to love so many more veggies than I ever thought possible. Keep trying, it's all we can do.


As for the ratatouille,  I love it! It's a simple goodness to be enjoyed during these months. I plan to continue taking advantage of the plentiful produce right now and even packing this in my lunch when I head back to work soon.  You can easily roast the veggies on Sunday and divide into containers for the coming week. Roasting the veggies brings out their natural sweetness and it's delicious!


Roasted Ratatouille

Ingredients:
1 small summer squash
1 small zucchini
1 onion
1 eggplant
1 bell pepper
handful of cherry or grape tomatoes
4 garlic cloves
Olive oil
salt and pepper
7-8 basil leaves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a cutting board, chop all veggies into large chunks.  For the garlic, smash using the flat side of a knife and then peel. Place all veggies into a large bowl. Drizzle about 2 tbsp of olive oil over top and season with salt and pepper. Toss all together.

Spread veggies out onto a large baking sheet. Roast in oven for 40-45 minutes, turning every ten minutes, just until veggies are tender.

Remove from oven. Chop basil and mix into veggies. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve warm as a side dish or a light meal with crusty bread.

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