Ratatouille

The first time I made ratatouille, the kitchen caught on fire.  Really.  The oil from the pot boiled over and before I knew it, grease was spitting and hissing and flames were shooting up to the ceiling.  I grabbed my 3-month old baby, wrapped him in a towel - I had started to give him a bath - and ran out of the house while shouting to my neighbor to call 911.

I greeted some very hunky firemen with my hair sticking up and my clothes plastered to me from a very wet baby.  I was quite a sight.  But the fire was actually put out by another neighbor, even before the fire trucks arrived.  Still, the firemen insisted on checking out the house completely, and I just couldn't get rid of them fast enough so I could change my clothes . . . and put a diaper on the baby.

Miraculously, the ratatouille was not ruined.  In fact, it was amazing.  Here's a dish that embodies all the glory of the Mediterranean:  Tomatoes, olive oil, eggplant, basil, peppers . . .  Serve it with lamb, roast pork, or even just parsleyed rice . . . It's so delicious!

Here's the recipe:

1½-2 cups extra virgin olive oil
4 small eggplants, roughly 4 lbs., cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons of salt
2 medium onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 zucchini, washed, trimmed, quartered lengthwise, and cut into thirds
2 red peppers, cut into ½-inch strips
2 green peppers, cut into ½-inch strips
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 14.5-oz. Italian Plum tomatoes
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
a pinch of red pepper flakes
black pepper to taste

1. Pre-heat oven to 350° F.
2. Pour one cup of olive oil into an aluminum roasting pan (easier clean up), add the eggplants with the salt.  Stir.  Cover the pan with foil and bake for about a half hour until the eggplant is cooked but not too soft.  Stir a couple of times during baking to coat the eggplant with the oil.
3. In a large dutch oven, heat remaining cup of oil and add the rest of the ingredients.  Cook on low heat for about 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
4. Add the eggplant mixture and cook an additional 15 minutes.  Taste and adjust the seasoning, especially the salt.

If you serve it as a side dish, it should yield at least 12 portions.

And here's a picture of John plastered to me, right after his bath (but on a different day).  I've posted this photo before, but it always makes me smile and brings back such happy memories.  I thought this was the perfect excuse to show it one more time . . .

And, be still my beating heart, somehow I've managed to be on theme for the Photo of the Day Weekly Challenge - Been There, Done That!