Seared ahi tuna. Grilled Cornish hens and tenderloin steaks. Fingerling potatoes with dill. Sautéed Portobello mushrooms. Polenta with cannelini beans, grape tomatoes, and basil. And my contribution: a boatload of ratatouille niçoise.
Grilled ratatouille niçoise. Yummy.
Ratatouille, aside from being the name of a popular animated film, is a dish from the Occitane region. Think “South of France” and you pretty much have it. It’s usually a stewed mess of tomatoes, onions, eggplant, zucchini, and bell peppers, fragrant with herbs... but I had seen Bobby Flay make a grilled version on the Food Network just a few days before, and it looked like it was worth a try.
Since Barry and Malka had invited a small army to dinner, I tripled the recipe. The result? King Rat - a king-sized pile of ratatouille, enough to ensure savory leftovers to last the weekend through.
Was it good? Yes, it was good. Most versions of ratatouille I’ve had in the past were on the soggy side, but here, grilling the veggies (instead of stewing them) gave them a nice caramelized overtone while leaving them reasonably firm. And Flay’s recipe, which includes beaucoup garlic and fresh oregano, has plenty of bright Mediterranean flavor. I recommend it... and besides, didn’t your mama tell you to eat your vegetables?
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1 comment:
So, you grilled the veggies, cut them up, and tossed them together? That sounds simple- I might actually be able to handle that...
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