S U M M E R T I M E C O M F O R T F O O D S
growing up in Midland, TX in the 80’s and 90’s was a very different scene.
surprisingly, the ‘farmer’s market’ was maybe 3 or 4 plastic tables under a tent on the side of the highway once a week from 5-11 AM.
but gorshdern, it got me excited as hell. i’d never seen things like patty pan squash, or heirloom tomatoes with their lovely little oddities. everyone shopped at the boring old supermarket.
it was around this time that my mother’s love of eggplant was likely impressed upon me.
i’m not sure when i had ratatouille for the first time, but the writing was on the wall.
it is one of the most simple + comforting foods that is always best in summer when the produce is at its peak.
and here’s the real gold. this is a double recipe. the sauce is actually a dense Gazpacho. WHAAAAAT?!
tonight - ratatouille, tomorrow - cold soup.
GAZPACHO + RATATOUILLE
Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side
skip down to the assembly section + boil the potatoes ahead of time and let them cool - you want them to be kind of al dente - so only boil for 10 minutes max.
for the gazpacho/sauce:
4 medium sized heirloom tomatoes
1 small Persian cucumber
2 cloves of fresh garlic
1/2 medium size yellow onion
1/2 red bell pepper
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 lemon juiced
1/2 cup olive oil
3 pinches of salt
throw all of this in the blender and drizzle the olive oil it at the end. leave the blender running for 8 minutes or so or until the whole thing is super silky smooth. BOOM you have a Gazpacho. Take anywhere from 3/4 to a cup for your sauce + put the rest in the fridge to chill and enjoy later with a drizzle of olive oil and some herbs.
finishing the saucepacho:
6-8 cherry tomatoes
1 clove of garlic sliced
2 pinches of oregano
2 sprigs of thyme stripped
pinch of salt
glug of white wine
glug of olive oil
if you have a cast iron skillet that fits the bill, you can finish this whole recipe in one pan.
if not - well more dishes for you.
in your cast iron sauté garlic in olive oil until aromatic add herbs + salt.
deglaze with white wine + add cherry tomatoes until the burst + wine reduces.
the tomatoes might need a little encouragement so don’t be shy about getting in there and bashing them up a bit.
add 2/3 finished sauce to your cast iron (unless you’re already cooking in it, good for you!) or baking dish.
assembly:
1 zucchini thinly sliced
1 Japanese eggplant thinly sliced
2-3 medium potatoes boiled and sliced
1/2 shallot thinly sliced
1 tbsp dried oregano
fresh oregano or basil to finish
heat the over to 375
on top of 2/3 sauce shingle your veggies - eggplant, zucchini, tater, in a circular pattern around the dish. sprinkle with salt, cover with remaining sauce, drizzle with olive oil, herbs, shallot bits, + toss in the oven.
let bake for about 20 minutes or until the edges of the veggies start to brown and curl.
finish with fresh herbs + serve.