Chattanooga Ratatouille | Sequatchie Cove Farm

For the Sauce:

• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 medium vine-ripe tomatoes
• dried herbs De Provence or chopped fresh thyme, marjoram, rosemary, etc.
• olive oil
• sea salt

Vegetables:

(choose vegetables that are approximately the same diameter if possible)

• 2 small Japanese eggplant or one large
• 1 zephyr squash
• 4 beets

Lemon Tarragon Sauce for Garnish:

• 4 tablespoons of good quality butter
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 2 sprigs of fresh tarragon, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon ground fenugreek
• 1/8 teaspoon tumeric
• 1/4 of a whole nutmeg, grated
• dash of white pepper
• sea salt to taste

Preparation:

Remove seeds from the red bell pepper and quarter.  Quarter the tomatoes and onions.  Remove skin from the cloves of garlic and crush with the side of a large chef’s knife, but do not chop.  Put vegetables in a medium sized glass baking dish and toss with olive oil, salt and herbs.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 1 hour, or until vegetables start to turn black on the tips.

Puree the tomato, onion and red pepper mixture and then spread into the bottom of a baking dish.

With a mandoline slicer or a sharp knife, thinly slice the squash, beets and eggplant to make circles of equal size.  Layer the vegetables alternately over the top of the puree mixture.  Starting around the outer edge of the baking dish with a large circle, then finishing the concentric circles of layers in the center.  Season with sea salt and herbs, then cover with a layer of parchment paper.  Bake on 400 degrees for 45 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.

To prepare sauce for garnish:

Melt butter in a small saucepan.  Add spices and seasonings, then whisk in lemon juice over low heat until blended and starts to thicken slightly.  Remove from heat and stir in tarragon.  Drizzle over portions of the ratatouille and around the plate.

Serve hot.

Filed under: Seasonal Food Recipes on June 16th, 2009 |