Messy Cook

I was almost ready to give up on eggplant altogether.  Until this recipe, I had never had a positive experience with the vegetable.  Good thing I gave it one final chance, since I loved this ratatouille.  The vegetables become tender and the flavors intensify baking in the oven.  Very simple ingredients become something magical simmering away in a bath of olive oil.  I served the ratatouille over a bed of creamy polenta for a complete meal. 

If you are ready to give up on eggplant or have yet to try the vegetable,give this recipe a try.

Oven Baked Ratatouille

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, cut into wedges
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 Tbsp. Herbes de Provence (I used a combination of thyme, savory and oregano)
1 bay leaf
2 zucchini (about 10 oz each), cut into 1×3″ wedges
1 small eggplant (about 1 pound), unpeeled, cut into 1×3″ wedges
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1″ wide strips
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1″ wide strips
1-28oz can whole tomatoes, drained
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
Black pepper
2 Tbsp chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 400°.  Heat oil in an ovenproof Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onions, garlic, herbs, and bay leaf, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes.

Stir in zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes, salt and pepper, to taste, breaking the tomatoes into rough chunks with a spoon.  Once the vegetables sizzles, put the ratatouille in the oven and bake, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and browning, about 1 hour.  Remove from the oven and stir in parsley.  Serve warm as a side dish or over polenta as a main dish.

Polenta

4 cups water (more or less, depending on desired consistency)
1 cup cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp butter

Bring water to boil in a small saucepan, salt it, then turn the heat to medium.  Whisking constantly, add the cornmeal a little at a time until it’s all incorporated.  Turn the heat to low.

For the first five minutes, whisk often to avoid any lumps.  Then switch to a flat-bottomed wooden spoon, stirring often until the water is absorbed. Stir in butter and serve.