It’s finally Ratatouille week. I look forward to this all year. Sweet peppers, the tail end of the summer squash, eggplants, onions and tomatoes. You’ll need a little garlic and handful of basil if you have it. It’s fun to have beets back and turnips and the beets and escarole make for a lovely, robust salad—a harbinger of shares to come. Happy Cooking!
Tomato Bread (Pa ambTomaquet)
Moussaka
Ratatouille
Beet Notes
Beet and Escarole Salad with Blue Cheese
Wilted Escarole
Choka—Roasted Eggplant and Tomato (from Trinidad)
Baked Eggplant Rounds with Tomato and Mozzarella
Turnip, Sweet Pepper and Chickpea Salad
Turnip Notes
Tomato Bread (Pa ambTomaquet)
The Spanish (and Basque) and Italian and probably many other cultures have versions of this. I have been eating it for breakfast though I realize that might not be everyone’s cup of tea. But it’s a wonderful snack or appetizer or a part of an informal dinner as well.
However many slices good, crusty bread to want to use
However many tomatoes you want to use – you need about half a medium tomato for one large slice of good, crusty bread.
Whole clove(s) of peeled garlic
Good sea salt
The best olive oil you have
Toast or grill the bread. Rub with garlic (little or lot or not at all, in fact). Cut the tomatoes in half on the equator and then rub the cut side of the tomato onto the toasted bread pressing as much juice and flesh into the bread as you can. You’ll be left holding the skin and a little pulp. Salt generously and drizzle with oil. The bread may fall part a bit and will get quite soggy—just as it should! Eat immediately, then make another!
Ratatouille
In my cook-with-what-you-have version or ratatouille, quantities are easily adapted and the ratios are not critical so scale up or down as needed. It is important to cook some of the vegetables separately so that you don’t crowd the pans and steam them rather than sautéing them. You want the browning and sweetness that comes with direct contact with the hot skillet.
This was a particularly squash heavy ratatouille, early in the season. Yours will look at little more red and purple and not so green! And it ideally is a bit softer than this photo conveys. You really want the vegetables to break down a bit.
It is a rich, stew-like dish in which the vegetables all break down a bit. It is not beautiful but it is good! Serve with some good crusty bread, another salad, fish or a frittata or some such. It’s even better the next day and delicious at room temperature as well.
Serves 4-6
4 medium tomatoes, diced
1 large eggplant, diced (no need to peel)
1 onion, cut into large dice
2-3 medium summer squash, sliced or diced
2 sweet peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
Olive oil
Handful of torn basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sea salt
Good olive oil for serving
Heat some olive oil in two large skillets over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers to one pan and the zucchini to the other. Sprinkle all with a bit of salt. Cook both on high heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently and then turn down to medium high and continue sautéing until softened and browning just a bit. When the zucchini is just about tender remove it from the pan and reserve. Add a bit more oil and add the eggplant and a bit more salt. You can keep the peppers and onions sautéing on medium while the eggplant cooks. When the eggplant is tender and browning, add half of it to the pepper and onion pan and divide the zucchini between the pans–or if you have space put it all in one pan now. Now add the tomato to both (or just the one pan) and bring to a lively simmer and cook for about 10 minutes to marry the flavors and soften the tomatoes. Add the garlic and basil and cook for 2 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm (but not hot) or at room temperature with a drizzle of good olive oil.
Moussaka
This recipe was handed down from a long passed family friend who used to make it in Greece with her Greek friends. My mother who made this when I was growing up, sometimes dipped the slices of eggplant in beaten egg before frying and sometimes didn’t. Both versions are delicious, the egg version a little heartier and crisper.
Serves 4-5
2 globe eggplants (medium to large is best), sliced into1/2-inch rounds or slices lengthwise
2 eggs, beaten (optional) and seasoned with a bit of salt
Oil for pan frying eggplant
Generous ½ cup pureed tomatoes (fresh or canned)
2 tablespoons tomato paste (can omit if you don’t have on hand)
1 batch béchamel (recipe below)
½ lb ground lamb or beef or a combination
½ an onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 2 teaspoon dried and crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan
Preheat oven to 375 Degrees.
If you’re using the egg, dip the eggplant slices in the beaten egg and shake off any excess. Fry the eggplant slices in a hot skillet in a tablespoon or two of olive oil until golden on both sides and tender. Set aside.
In another skillet (or the same one you used for the eggplant) sauté the ground meat for a few minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Add the tomato paste (if using), pureed tomatoes and herbs and cook for 20 minutes or so until reduced a bit. Season with salt and pepper.
Make the béchamel, below.
Cover the bottom of a 8 x 13” baking dish with eggplant slices and then layer meat and eggplant with last layer being eggplant. Pour the bechamel sauce over the eggplant and meat mixture and cover with grated Parmesan and bake until golden brown and bubbling—about 30 minutes.
For Bechamel
4 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons flour
Generous 2 cups of whole milk (2% can work in a pinch)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bay leaf (optional)
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
A little grated nutmeg (optional)
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
Pinch of ground cloves
Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan over med/low heat. When melted, whisk in flour. Continue cooking the roux for 2 -3 min, whisking frequently. Meanwhile heat milk until it’s scalding. Whisk hot milk into roux and add several pinches of salt, grind in some pepper, add chili flakes (or omit if you’d like), add mustard and a bay leaf and a grating or two of nutmeg. Stir well and cook over med/low heat for about 10 minutes until thickened and bubbling.
Eggplant Tomato Stacks
–adapted from Martha Stewart Living
12 eggplant rounds (each 1/4 inch thick and at least 3 inches in diameter; about 2 medium eggplants)
Sea salt
olive oil
3 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
4-5 tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh oregano
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced and torn into small pieces
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus shavings for serving
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Season eggplant with salt. Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, so as to not crowd the skillet, fry eggplant rounds, turning once, until soft and pale golden, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Add a bit of oil as needed.
Heat another 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and cook for just a few seconds. Add tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until tomatoes break down and are soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in oregano and basil.
Place 6 slices of eggplant on a sheetpan. Top each slice with 1 tablespoon sauce and a few pieces of mozzarella, and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons Parmesan. Repeat layering twice.
Bake until heated through and cheese is bubbling, about 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with oregano and Parmesan shavings.
Beet Notes
When I get a bunch of beets I roast or boil them all at once. Then I have the perfect treat at the ready to add to salads, sandwiches, make it into spread, etc. If you’re going to bake them, scrub and trim but don’t peel them an put them in an oven proof dish with a couple of tablespoons of water. Cover with foil and place in a 374-400 degree oven. If my beets are big I halve them before baking to cut down on cooking time. Start checking after 35-40 minutes. They may take a bit longer still.
To boil, scrub and trim and put in a saucepan covered with cold water. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer and cook, covered for about 20-35 minutes.
Peel when cool enough to handle. Cooked/roasted beets keep in the fridge for about 5-6 days.
Beet and Escarole Salad with Blue Cheese
Pears or apples would be wonderful in this salad too. The sweetness is a nice balance to the assertiveness of the greens.
1 head escarole (or other type–see headnote), well washed and trimmed of any tough, outer leaves, and roughly torn
2-3 boiled or roasted beets, peeled and diced
1/3 cup walnuts (toasted at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes and then cooled)
3-4 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoons sherry or white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
Whisk together the salt, pepper, oil and vinegar. Dress the greens with the vinaigrette and toss thoroughly. Add the nuts and cheese and gently toss again. Finally add the beets and toss gently. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Wilted Escarole
–adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters
Escarole, crunchy and slightly bitter (in a pleasing way when dressed or cooked) can be cooked or grilled since it’s more substantial than other lettuces.
This is a very simple technique that just begs for a fried or poached egg or maybe some fish or a lovely bowl of beans and good olive oil as an accompaniment.
Wash and trim the escarole. Cut the leaves into wide strips. Saute in olive oil, covered, until wilted and bright green, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add a splash of vinegar, and serve.
Choka—Roasted Eggplant and Tomato (from Trinidad)
–adapted from World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey
This dish can be considered a side dish or a salsa and is excellent along grain or bean dishes or with pita bread.
1 medium-large eggplant (about 1 lb)
3 medium tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, crushed and minced (divided)
½ a small-medium onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon (or to taste) sea salt
Plenty of freshly ground pepper
1 small jalapeno (maybe you have on leftover from last week), minced
2 tablespoons good olive oil
½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Spread the tomatoes and eggplant (all whole) on a sheet pan (baking sheet with sides) and roast for 25 minutes. At this point remove the tomatoes and set aside to cool in a bowl. Keep baking the eggplant for another 20-30 minutes until, turning it often, until is has collapsed and is quite soft.
Discard any liquid that has accumulated in the bottom of the bowl the tomatoes were cooling in. Peel the tomatoes and remove cores if they are prominent and roughly chop.
Once the eggplant is soft, peel it and chop coarsely as well and mix with the tomatoes. Add the garlic, onion, salt, pepper and hot pepper and mix well.
Heat the olive oil in a small skillet and then add the cumin seeds and cook for a few seconds. They will begin popping. Add the garlic and cook another few seconds. Remove from the heat and add the oil, garlic and cumin seeds to the choka and stir well. Enjoy warm, at room temperature or chilled.
Turnip Notes
The sweet crunchy Hakurei turnips are wonderful as a snack. pack wedges or slices of them in kids or grown up lunches. Spread rounds of raw turnips with a pesto made of their greens, basil and other typical pesto ingredients. Include the diced turnips in stir-fries, fried rice, salads (see below), etc. Use the greens in soups, stir fries, simply sautéed, combined with the turnips themselves, also sautéed and finished with a splash of sherry or red wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar. Stir the wilted greens into scrambled eggs. . ..
Turnip, Sweet Pepper and Chickpea Salad
This flash-pickling side/salsa comes together in minutes. So far I’ve mostly eaten it straight with a spoon, but I image it would be nice tossed with still-warm, lightly dressed new potatoes. Or maybe white fish, chicken or shrimp. Or perhaps to lend balance to pulled pork, or another rich, stewed meat. (Note: I ate this, a day old, tossed with some Israeli couscous, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a touch of leftover avocado and it was fantastic.)
Juice of 1/2 a small lime
1 ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon chili oil (or peanut oil and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes)
1 tablespoon peanut oil (or another oil you have)
2 tablespoons diced red onion
3 turnips, scrubbed and cut into matchsticks or small dice
1-2 sweet peppers, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
3/4 cup cooked (or canned and rinsed) chickpeas
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Add the lime juice and the rice vinegar to a small bowl, giving them a quick whisk to combine. Add the honey, and then the oil. Whisk briskly until the oil and the vinegar come together. Add the onion to the dressing right away to give it a chance to mellow a bit.
In a bowl, toss together the dressing, the onion, peppers, turnips and the chickpeas. Give it a taste. It will likely need more salt. You can eat this right away, while all the vegetables are still crisp, or you can let it sit for a bit and they will soften the flavors will meld a bit more which is also lovely.