This is truly a beautiful vegetable preparation if I do say so myself- not necessarily this exact one that I prepared in class today but the actual concept. This dish is meant to be made in the peak of a summer garden's bounty- not mid January when the veggies have all traveled thousands of miles from far away lands, trucked to Northern Michigan's wintery landscape. I guess for the sake of Culinary school this will have to do for now.
The french preparation of Ratatouille is really quite involved but it yields a deliciously wonderful marriage of all its ingredients. Onion, bell peppers and tomatoes make up the saucy foundation with the addition of zucchini and eggplant, each of which is separately sauteed before being added to the tomato mixture. Everything is cooked over low heat and then seasoned with a light pinch of salt and fresh thyme. For class we shaped the finished product with a circular mold and it made for a nice appearance.
I can't wait for late August and the harvest that will bear Aubergine's (eggplant) tomato, zucchini, onion and peppers. It is a special dish that will be worth waiting for!
