Perhaps the inspiration has come from finally purchasing the collector's edition of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and part of it is hoping that if I keep making slow-cooked comfort food that Fall will finally arrive! Either way - while I've been woefully remiss about posting for the last few months, I'm going to bring you a one-two punch of French deliciousness this time.
One of my favorite things about summer is the bounty from our garden - between Tiffane and my Auntie Diane graciously keeping me stocked with beautiful tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, eggplant and other tasty treats, I hardly have to spend any time in the produce section anymore :) These tomatoes are just incredible!! I've been known to stand over the sink, add a quick dash of Kosher salt, and just eat them standing up, juices running down my arm....and if this were a crime, I think everyone in my family would be locked up ;)
When you have access to vegetables this fresh, inspiration comes very easily...I took one peek at the bag of veggies and decided that it was about time for some Ratatouille. I've made it many times before - tried a chunky version, and a more blended/incorporated version, but the texture and presentation were never quite right - it always ended up tasting great but looking like mushy baby food! This time, I decided that I was going to try it in a pie dish, and for the "look" I turned to the Disney movie Ratatouille for inspiration (yes, you're free to mock me for getting my inspiration from a cartoon rat!) Those perfectly round slices, all overlapping so nicely, steam wafting off the top....THAT'S what I'd been missing! I tracked down my mandolin, cued up the movie on Netflix, and went to town....and *finally* nailed it.
One of the secrets to this dish is the layering - a layer of tomato paste on the bottom, a layer of thinly-sliced garlic, a layer of heirloom tomatoes, and a layer of eggplant...all before the zucchini and bellpepper layering begins! I made sure to drizzle each layer with a little bit of olive oil and fresh herbs - and the result was an incredibly moist, flavorful dish.
I can't quite describe the feeling that comes over me when I take the first bite of a garden-to-table creation and I'm just transported to another place - when the tastes, textures and temperature all come together in a perfect symphony...The finished product:
So, since it's Labor Day weekend....take this opportunity to wear white one last time, then hit up your local farmer's market or roadside produce stand, get what's left of the summer tomato and squash harvest, and enjoy!!
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