Wednesday, September 01, 2010

A Little Different Ratatouille

Trying to keep the last of the Japanese eggplant from going to waste so I've fixed eggplant for two straight dinners. The first night was just slicing the eggplant lengthwise into about 1/4 inch thick slices, brushing them with good olive oil and putting them on a baking sheet. Top with a slice of fresh tomato, a sprinkle of dried oregano and some grated Parmesan...drizzle with a little more EVOO then bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes until the cheese was nice and toasty. We had it with warm flatbread as a main but it would also make a good starter.

Last night Madam suggested ratatouille. Instead of the regular method I decided to roast the eggplant, squash, and peppers separately and then add them to the saute of onions, tomato and garlic. It turned out nice as the veges kept their shape and the whole thing didn't turn into a mushy mess. I'll do it that way again. Upon Madam's suggestion I served it on top of some focaccia  bread cubes that I browned a bit in a little olive oil. It made a nice addition. I would suggest that if you use fresh tomatoes like I did that you just use the outer part and cut away the seeds and pulp or it will make the dish too wet. As I have said before I am not a huge fan of aubergine but this was pretty good.

No comments: