Farmers Market Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a tasty, easy and healthy way to make use of the abundant amount of fresh produce available this time of year. If you have kiddos, this is also a great way to encourage them to eat their veggies. After all, who doesn’t want to eat a dish named after a Disney movie?!? I almost always double this recipe. We eat it as a vegetarian meal wrapped in crepes or as a side item to chicken or fish the day I prepare it, and then use the leftovers as a filling for omelets all week long. Serves six to eight as a side, four as a main dish.

START TO FINISH: 35 MINUTES, 15 ACTIVE

Ingredients:

For the ratatouille:

• 1       T. extra virgin olive oil
• 1       T. real butter
• 1        red onion
• 4        cloves garlic
• 1        heirloom eggplant
• 1        bell pepper (red, orange or yellow)
• 1        zucchini (or yellow squash)
• 2        vine-ripe tomatoes (about 1 ½ -2 cups)

Seasonings:

• 1        t. sea salt
• 1        t. black pepper
• ¼      t. crushed red pepper
• 1        bay leaf

Finishing touches:

• 1/4     cup fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, oregano, basil, tarragon).
• 8        oz. shredded white cheese, optional (such as swiss, jack, mozzarella, etc)

Instructions:

Prep your produce: Dice one red onion and mince 4 cloves garlic. Set aside. Small dice eggplant, bell pepper, zucchini and tomatoes. Set aside. Finely chop ¼ c. fresh herbs.

If necessary, shred 8 oz. of cheese.

Stew your ratatouille: Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes. When skillet is hot, add 1 T. each extra virgin olive oil and butter. When butter has melted, add onion and garlic to skillet. Saute for about 5 minutes, until onion is softening and translucent. Add eggplant, bell pepper, zucchini and seasonings to pot. Stir to combine. Let ratatouille stew for 20 minutes. Turn off heat.

Turn broiler to high.

Add your finishing touches: Stir in fresh herbs and transfer ratatouille to an oven-proof baking dish. Sprinkle cheese over top. Broil cheese topped ratatouille for about two minutes, just until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Notes: This dish is naturally vegetarian, nut-free and gluten-free. Those sensitive to dairy can simply omit the cheese.

Basic Crepe Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4   large eggs
• 2   c. whole milk
• 2   c. whole wheat or gluten-free flour
• 1   t. sea salt
• 3   T. butter, divided

Instructions:

Heat a 6 or 8 inch flat skillet over medium heat. While skillet heats, melt butter and let cool slightly. Whisk 2 t. of the butter with all remaining ingredients. When skillet is hot (about 5 minutes), brush the skillet with a bit of the remaining butter. Add ¼ c. of the batter and swirl the batter until it coats the whole pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the edges of the crepe begin to curl in and it can easily be flipped with a spatula. Flip crepe and cook 30 seconds longer. Transfer to a plate and repeat with all remaining batter. Serve and enjoy!