My easy ratatouille! That’s what hit me when I studied my early morning harvest of Squash Lemon, Ping Tung Long eggplant, green beans, and tomatoes. I added a leek, garlic cloves (see my Growing Garlic episode of “Late Bloomer”), and purple basil, all of which I grew in my garden.
In the mid-1970’s on a trip to California, I passed through Ojai, stopped into the legendary Ranch House Restaurant and bought what became my #1 cookbook for decades “Vegetarian Gourmet Cookery” by Alan Hooker. The first edition I wore out and it’s long gone and I picked up this copy in 1990 after I moved to California.
As I’d much rather be in the garden than in the kitchen, I try to limit my cooking to recipes that take 20 minutes or less, and the Ratatouille recipe fits perfectly into my preferred time frame. Basically, over a medium-heat skillet, to olive oil you add minced garlic, chopped onion, sliced vegetables and simmer till they are soft! The recipe calls for mushrooms, but I substituted green beans, because that’s what’s growing in my garden!
I did have marjoram growing in my garden, but it’s vanished, so I substituted oregano. Since I used fresh tomatoes, I added two tablespoons of organic tomato paste to thicken the sauce. I cooked it for no more than the time it took to chop and add everything plus another couple of minutes, covered. I turned off the heat and let it cool down. (1951 Noritake China serving bowl, Royal Pink pattern ) The cookbook recommends serving with rice or plain lentils.
The Squash Lemon seed was a Free Gift from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company when I ordered all my tomato seeds last year.
They say it has high yield and high resistance to insects (though leaf miner are working their way through some leaves), so I found a spot for one plant, right beside my only eggplant (caterpillars are devouring those leaves). These are my first two lemon squash harvested.
I hope you enjoy making ratatouille! Please let me know if you try it. I know many of you are growing the ingredients in your summer garden. Thanks for reading and please watch episodes of “Late Bloomer” on YouTube. Happy cooking and gardening! – Kaye
