The above photo is not of ratatouille.... I know, the cake looks like it stayed out too late the night before and had too much to drink. It was a messy but delicious birthday cake I made for the husband. I used the recipe 4-3-2-1 from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters. While I love that cookbook madly, I must say I far prefer this cake recipe as a go to. The chocolate sauce was somewhat of a cake fashion disaster on the white cake but making chocolate shavings with a vegetable peeler was fun and acted as a last minute lipstick for the cake.
The birthday menu was: Roasted Almond with herbs (thyme and salt), a simple rocket salad with shaved parmesan, red wine vinegar and olive oil, fresh bread, sliced cheeses and Ratatouille. Ratatouille... is not the most beautiful food but I must say that I adore it (as do all that live in this house I live in). I really think there is nothing like a simple meal with fresh ingredients...
Ratatouille by Moosewood
3 Tb olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped onion
1 bay leaf
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cubed
Glugs of red wine (I say 4-5)
1/2 C Tomato Juice
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tsp fresh: Basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary
2 zucchini, cubed
2 bell peppers sliced or cubed
2 Tomatoes
Fresh parsley
Heat olive oil in a deep pan. Add garlic, onion and bay leaf and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Add eggplant, wine, tomato juice, salt and herbs. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes until eggplant is soft.
Add zucchini, bell peppers, black pepper, and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for about 10 more minutes, or until zucchini and bell peppers are tender.
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