Ratatouille is a classic vegetable dish starring eggplant, zucchini, peppers and tomato that is deeply steeped in the culture of Mediterranean France. When I married a man from the heart of Provence, one of the first lessons I received from my new mother-in-law, Muriel, was how to make a proper ratatouille.
This is not a proper ratatouille.
This is an outdoor grilled version of ratatouille. A little summertime char on the vegetables could be a good thing.
The result was a tasty dish that was somewhere in between a grilled vegetable salad (but not quite as acidic) and a traditional ratatouille (but not quite capturing that synergistic vegetable vibe). Still, a worthy summertime side dish in its own right.
Grilled ratatouille is a happy complement to any grilled meat or fish, and it's hearty enough to be the main dish for vegetarians. And leftovers can be spooned on top of roasted potatoes, rice, a green salad, or even spread on toast, sprinkled with cheese and broiled for a quick lunch.
Grilled Ratatouille
2 small or 1 large eggplant, cut into 1-inch slices (no need to peel)
2 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
1 sweet yellow or red pepper, cut into "cheeks" or quarters, seeds, removed
1 medium sweet onion, peeled, quartered with root intact (to keep it together)
1 pint grape tomatoes
Olive oil in mister
Dressing:
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
6 or 7 basil leaves, gently torn
Salt and pepper
Heat the grill to medium and lightly oil the grates. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper, and coat them lightly with the olive oil mister to coat. (If you don't have a mister, pour a little oil in your hands and lightly toss the vegetables in a bowl using your hands to coat them very lightly with olive oil.)
Cook the vegetables on the grill until tender but not floppy, turning halfway through cooking time, about 15 minutes total for the eggplant, onion quarters and sweet pepper; 10 minutes for the zucchini; and 2 minutes for the tomatoes.
Meanwhile, make the dressing: Whisk together lemon juice and red-wine vinegar in a small bowl, and drizzle in the olive oil, whisking to make an emulsion. Add the garlic, thyme and salt and pepper to taste, and an additional tablespoon of water if needed to make more sauce.
As the vegetables are removed from the grill, chop the onion (the inside may not be fully cooked and that's OK), cut the rest of the vegetables into nice-size cubes and place in a large bowl. The pepper skin will be charred, remove it if you like.
Pour the dressing over the vegetables while still warm and toss gently. Add the fresh basil leaves to the vegetables and stir. Adjust salt and pepper for seasoning and serve, hot, room temperature or chilled.
Makes 6 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 126 calories, 4 g protein, 5 g fat 19 g carbohydrate (11 g sugar), no cholesterol, sodium varies and 7 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 11/2.
Food on 06/28/2017