Roasted Ratatouille

These lovely tomatoes...

plus this

plus these

and a few of these

plus a couple of them

equals...

this bowl of luscious goodness.

All it takes is some high oven heat to turn zucchini, eggplant, peppers, onions and tomatoes into ratatouille (say ra-ta-twee), a Provencal dish that's the epitome of summer. I've been making it for years, in lots of different ways. The "most authentic" recipes will have you saute each vegetable separately to "maintain its integrity". I'm all for vegetables with integrity but there's loads of things I'd rather be doing than standing at the stove, coaxing eggplant into submission.

For this summer's ratatouille, I am taking the rue less traveled, and it's through my oven. Roasting caramelizes the vegetables, bringing out their natural sweetness. They collapse into a lightly browned melange, then flavored with slivers of fresh basil. This could be the best thing I've eaten this summer, and that's saying a lot. I like it with nothing more than a piece of crusty bread. Yesterday I saw a recipe that calls for putting the ratatouille over fresh corn polenta and that's pretty appealing too.

It'll take a few minutes to prep the veggies*, but once they're in the oven, you are free to catch up on your novel (I'm currently reading The Pleasing Hour by Lily King), your knitting or enjoy a glass of rose on your deck. You will have to get up and stir occasionally but I'm pretty confident you can handle that.

We have to make the most of these waning days of summer. 

Roasted Ratatouille

adapted from Fine Cooking

2 small yellow or white onions, cut into 1/4" thick semi-circles

2 red bell peppers, cored and peeled (if desired), cut into 1" pieces

1 green bell pepper, cored and peeled (if desired), cut into 1" pieces

2 medium Italian eggplants  (the long skinny kind), peeled if desired and cut into 1/2" thick semi-circles

2 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/4" rounds

5 whole cloves of garlic, peeled

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

4 medium-sized ripe tomatoes OR 2 cups cherry tomatoes

 OR a combination of both, cut into 1/2" chunks

coarse salt

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line two large rimmed baking sheets with foil, then parchment paper (this will keep veggies from burning).

In a large bowl, toss together onions, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, garlic, rosemary, olive oil and 1 1/2 tsps. salt. Spread vegetables evenly over both sheet pans. Don't spread the vegetables too thin, or they could burn. They will shrink quite a bit as they cook.

Roast, stirring the vegetable a few times and swapping the positions of the pans once, until the vegetables are slightly collapsed and very tender, about 45 minutes. If the veggies look like they might be burning, turn down the heat slightly or pile them closer together. If they look dry, drizzle on a little EVOO. 

Divide the tomatoes between the two pans and continue roasting until the tomatoes soften and shrink and the other vegetables are well-browned, another 30-45 minutes. It's good to check them regularly during the last 15 minutes so as not to overcook - you don't want them mushy!

Scrape all vegetables into a bowl and mix in the basil. The garlic will be very soft and can be crushed right into the mixture. Add salt to taste and a light drizzle of EVOO.

I like this best at room temperature, but you can eat it right out of the oven or even cold.

*Try to cut them all into approximately the same size for even cooking.

Best Summer Recipes and Cookbook Winner

Wow...great comments!
Thanks to everyone who entered the contest to win The Maine Summers Cookbook.

Here's my high tech choosing method - the Bonus Baby
picks names from a basket!

The winner is Janet!
Janet, please send me an email with your home address and I will send the cookbook right out to you.

My readers have a lot to get done before summer ends and most of it involves eating. I knew I liked you guys.
Elaine, Nancy and Teslaca want to have backyard lobster bakes.
Elle and Medusa need more fried clams (me too).
And John wants me to teach him to make dinner!

There's plenty that I haven't gotten to yet this summer as well, and it mostly has to do with food. Big surprise huh?

Here are five foods just made for August, when summer produce is at its peak. Click on the title and it'll take you right to the recipe.
What are we waiting for?
Enjoy!

1. Tomato Bruschetta

2. Grilled Tomatillo Salsa

3. Zucchini Spice Cake with cream cheese frosting

4. Maine Blueberry Cake

5. Lemonade Pie

Corn for Dinner and The Maine Summers Cookbook Giveaway

I haven't posted much this summer.
That's partly because I haven't cooked much this summer.
The big kids both have jobs that take them through the dinner hour most nights.
Bob works until dinner time then wants to go for a bike ride.
That leaves me and the Bonus Baby.
I hate to say it, but I don't really feel like firing up the grill for the two of us.
We might graze leftovers.
 (Leftovers from what? you ask. She never cooks anything!)
Or get some sushi then head for the ice cream stand.

Sometimes I'll text the various family members to see if they might be home for dinner.
If I get a consensus, I'll take the plunge and go grocery shopping for something other than milk and Go Lean Crunch.
Like tonight.
Dinner seemed like a go.
I visited the new Bow Street Market in Freeport (it's awesome) and picked up some bistro steaks and corn. Got the steaks in a little marinade, made a salad.
And picked out a corn recipe I've been wanting to try from The Maine Summers Cookbook by Linda Greenlaw and Martha Greenlaw (her mom).
I've been paging through this book for a couple of weeks and the grilled corn idea caught my attention. With jalapeno citrus butter. Oh yes.

Then I get the news that the two men in the family have other plans.
Involving football.
They will not be dining at home.

Sigh.
The steaks can wait until tomorrow night, but I want that corn now.
So yes, I lit the grill solely for the corn. That's how badly I want it.

And the Bonus Baby and I ate grilled corn for dinner.
It was perfection. The butter mixture gave it a sweet/tangy flavor, that when mixed with the charred kernels, was irresistible.
Who needs steak?

I have a copy of this fabulous cookbook to giveaway. It contains lots of fresh summer ideas and Maine classics. Clams, lobster, blueberries and potatoes are highlighted and given the royal treatment. Loads of beautiful photos of the Maine coast too.
To win The Maine Summers Cookbook, please leave a comment. Mention one thing you still hope to do before summer ends.
Me, I just want to cook a meal and have my whole family present to enjoy it.

Grilled Corn with Jalapeno Citrus Butter
adapted rom The Maine Summers Cookbook 


4 Tbsps. unsalted butter

2 Tbsps. orange juice concentrate

juice of one lime

1 tsp. grated lime zest

1 Tbsp. molasses

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1-2 Tbsp. jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

6 ears of fresh corn, shucked

coarse salt and pepper to taste

Prepare a gas or charcoal grill to medium high heat. Clean and oil the rack.

Melt the butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir the orange juice concentrate, lime juice, zest and molasses into melted butter. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and jalapeno. Stir until well combined. Add salt and pepper.

Place the corn directly on the oiled grill rack and cook, turning occasionally, until charred spots appear. Brush the corn generously with butter mixture. Cover the grill and cook 2-3 minutes more. Remove corn to platter and brush with more citrus butter. Serve immediately, passing additional salt.

My New Favorite Appetizer: Tuna Tapenade

Truth be told, I hate making appetizers.
Too many little things.
Sometimes a nice dip works fine. And you can always fall back on gaucamole.

But the day always comes when someone asks you to bring an appetizer to a last minute get-together that includes several Italian guests who are used to something a bit more sophisticated.

Once again, thank you Barefoot Contessa, from the bottom of my lazy heart.
Chances are good you'll have many of the ingredients at home already. Canned or jarred Italian tuna in olive oil is an excellent thing to keep in your pantry. (So is Chicken of the Sea, but that probably wouldn't work as well here.)
You could run out and get the baguette to make crostini. Or you can serve the tapenade with crackers. Nothing wrong with that.
I love that there was no actual cooking involved. Just press "pulse" on the food processor and you'll have an appetizer that will make you look all fancy with a European flair.

Tuna Tapenade Crostini
Barefoot Contessa


10-12 oz. Italian tuna, packed in olive oil

2 tsps. anchovy paste

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

2 Tbsps. chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest

2 tsps. minced garlic (about 2 cloves)

3 Tbsps. freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 Tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing on bread

1/3 cup mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives

1 Tbsp. capers, drained

salt and pepper to taste

1 French baguette, sliced

Drain all but a tablespoon of olive oil from tuna and flake the fish into food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add anchovy paste, thyme, parsley, lemon zest and garlic. Pulse a few times to mix. Add the lemon juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and mascarpone. Process until almost smooth.
Add the olives, capers, salt and pepper and pulse just to incorporate.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Meanwhile, brush the bread slices lightly with olive oil. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake 6-8 minutes at 375 degrees, or until lightly browned. Bread can also be lightly grilled. (Or use crackers.)
Mound the tapenade on each toast, garnish with parsley sprig and serve.

Makes approx. 36 pieces