Our hosts gave us a beautiful yellow zucchini (courgette) from their garden, recently picked and fresh as can be. I wondered what to make with it since I don't have at hand all the ingredients or spices I usually have. I could have simply sautéed slices of zucchini in some olive oil, but decided to make ratatouille instead. Well, a kind of ratatouille since I didn't have eggplant or fresh tomatoes or the right spices...
So I assembled what I did have and thought I could make a fairly nice version of something close to ratatouille.
There was the zucchini squash, of course, along with green and red peppers and some onions.
I have been slowly buying some spices so here are my four first choices to date: salt and pepper grinders, persillade (which is parsley and other green herbs suitable for soup or stews), and Herbes de Provence, a must when making any dish with a Mediterranean flair. I bought a big bag since I'm planning on bringing it back to Canada. The price here is just great! Canned tomatoes, garlic and olive oil.
I don't have a medium sized pot with a cover, so I used a large blue enamel one which is perfect since you don't have to worry about the sauce boiling over and messing up the stove.
It's been simmering for an hour but still has a ways to go. Smelling very good already.
This is what I was hoping it would look like: veggies still recognizable and not turned to mush, but the ingredients all married together and tasting rich and flavourful. It has thickened enough to be perfect!
I decided to serve it on top of penne noodles. After all, if it's not really ratatouille, it can be eaten as a pasta sauce - the primavera kind. Maybe I'll call it Il Giardino!
It's ready: dinner for two. Mmmmm!
"We are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems."
~ John W. Gardner
.... where's mine? ;)
ReplyDeletePull up a chair - I made enough for three!
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