We’ve posted before about how a frittata is our go-to dish for getting vegetables out of the refrigerator. In the late summer we have a second play out of that same playbook to use up vegetables that, quite frankly, aren’t our favorites.

I’m talking about eggplants, summer squash, and those bitter purple peppers. We have good recipes for all of them (maybe not the purple peppers), but sometimes out CSA just drops too . . . → Read More: How to Make Ratatouille: The Late Summer CSA Leftover Disposal]]>

We’ve posted before about how a frittata is our go-to dish for getting vegetables out of the refrigerator. In the late summer we have a second play out of that same playbook to use up vegetables that, quite frankly, aren’t our favorites.

I’m talking about eggplants, summer squash, and those bitter purple peppers. We have good recipes for all of them (maybe not the purple peppers), but sometimes out CSA just drops too many on us at one time, and by the end of the week the squash are getting rubbery and the eggplant feels leathery… you get the picture. Take a look at the picture about to see all that this recipe used up!

This ratatouille uses them up in quantity and although it doesn’t look like much that you’d be dying to eat (I asked Lindsay “are you sure you want me to take pictures?”), it’s actually pretty delicious and incredibly healthy to boot. Did I mention that it’s also easy?

There are a million variations on ratatouille, since it’s a common peasant stew that everybody’s mother makes in France. This one is very stew-like, and because the veggies are cut in thin strips, they take on a noodly quality. Other variations call for cubes, etc. Use your imagination. You can also control how watery you make it by adding fewer or more tomatoes. They provide most of the juice.

Rataouille

Makes 4 servings as a main or more as as side

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mash the garlic into a paste if you like (it distributes better throughout the dish), or just mince it. I used a mortar and pestle so that I didn’t have to clean the food processor for a single clove. Chop the onion and slice the eggplant. For this dish we don’t peel anything in order to make it as easy as possible.

   

3. Heat 2 TBsp of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme. Once the onions are translucent, add the eggplant and cook for about 5-8 minutes until the eggplant has thoroughly changed color.
4. As the eggplant cooks in the pan, start slicing the rest of the vegetables. It’s OK if you have to turn off the burner and let the eggplant sit for a bit; it will be cooked more. I you like it watery, add more tomatoes. If you want it dryer, add fewer.
5. Add everything to a large roasting pan and mix around with 1 TBsp of olive oil. We usually use a big Pyrex (pictured), but it’s probably best to use something ceramic because at the end it needs to go under the broiler and Pyrex is not rated for that and could fracture. We always forge tab out the broiler with this one until it’s already almost done. Don’t be like us!

   

6. Cover the roasting pan with tented tin foil or a sheet of parchment paper. Try to prevent it from sitting directly on the vegetables. Bake for 1 hour.
7. Remove it from the oven. Turn on the broiler (to high, if your oven has the option). Remove the foil / parchment paper. Add the pinch of sugar and salt to your tasting. Stir thoroughly. Place it directly under the broiler, uncovered, for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, check to see if the top is starting to singe. If so, you’re done. If not, put it back for 2 minutes at a time until the top is as caramelized as you can get it without burning.



]]> http://eatlocal365.com/2013/08/28/how-to-make-ratatouille-the-late-summer-csa-leftover-disposal/feed/ 0 http://eatlocal365.com/2012/08/18/corn-and-zucchini-stir-fry-with-cashews/ http://eatlocal365.com/2012/08/18/corn-and-zucchini-stir-fry-with-cashews/#comments Sat, 18 Aug 2012 17:21:18 +0000 Lindsay http://eatlocal365.com/?p=5947 More zucchini!! This is a recipe I first made while babysitting for my niece, who was not yet two at the time. She sat at the counter jabbering away, while I chopped and cooked, close enough to catch her and far enough away to keep her hands a safe distance from the stove. That night we made up an awesome call-and-response scatting game. She would blab something that obviously made sense to her, but sounded . . . → Read More: Corn and Zucchini Stir-Fry with Cashews]]> More zucchini!! This is a recipe I first made while babysitting for my niece, who was not yet two at the time. She sat at the counter jabbering away, while I chopped and cooked, close enough to catch her and far enough away to keep her hands a safe distance from the stove. That night we made up an awesome call-and-response scatting game. She would blab something that obviously made sense to her, but sounded like nonsense to me, so I’d sing it back to her like Ella Fitzgerald. Pretty soon, we were taking turns making up silly little songs and giggling like crazy people. Then, in a flash, dinner was ready. Bipidy do da wah!



The next time we made this, we were visiting my parents in Minnesota and cooking for them and some friends. One of the friends is vegetarian and the other is a trained chef. No pressure, though. We had also just gone to the State Fair, so we were in dire need of vegetables. Luckily, my parents have a CSA and they had plenty of fresh stuff hanging around. Everyone loved this, even the skeptical meat-eaters of the group.



When we made this last time, there wasn’t any scatting or anyone to impress. Just a hungry Erik and Lindsay and TONS of corn and zucchini to use up. Much less of a story. If you want to make it more “Food Network”, add rice, steamed buns, and dessert. It doesn’t need any of that stuff, but sometimes it’s fun to go nuts.




Corn and Zucchini Stir-Fry with Cashews
Adapted from Fast, Fresh & Green
Serves 2 generously

Amount	Ingredient	Preparation	Where we bought it (USM = Somerville’s Union Square Market)
1 pound	Zucchini	Large ones are a little easier to deal with; substitute summer squash	Red Fire Farm
4 ears	Corn		Red Fire Farm
6 large	Scallions		USM
2 tsp	Hoisin sauce
1 tsp	Fish sauce
1 tsp	Lime juice	Substitute lemon juice
1 TBsp	Fresh ginger	Grated
1-2 cloves	Garlic		Keith’s Farm
1/4 tsp	Chili-garlic sauce	We used sriracha
2 TBsp	Sunflower oil		Stolor Organics
1/3 cup	Cashews
1 tsp	Kosher salt
1 1/2 TBsp	Fresh mint		USM
1 1/2 TBsp	Fresh cilantro

Directions

1. This method of dicing zucchini is a little unorthodox, but it gives you the “meat” of the zucchini without the seeds. Cut both ends off the zucchini. Cut panels off of all four sides, leaving a brick of seeds, which you can discard. Dice the panels into about 1/2-inch pieces. Repeat with the remaining zucchini.

   

2. Slice the corn off of the cobs. If you go too close to the cob, you’ll dull your knife, so it’s okay to leave a little of the kernel behind. I find it easiest to cut right in a big bowl, so that the kernels don’t fly all over the kitchen. Add the corn to the zucchini.

   

3. Slice the scallions into 1/2-inch pieces. Use both the white and green parts. Add the scallions to the corn and zucchini.
4. Chop up the mint and cilantro and set aside.
5. Finely chop the garlic. You could also grate it, if you’re feeling fancy. Add it to a small bowl with the grated ginger and chili-garlic sauce.
6. Whisk the hoisin sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, and 1 tsp of water together in a small bowl.
7. Heat 1 TBsp of the sunflower oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. When the oil is hot (hold your hand an inch or so above it to test), add the cashews and stir them around until they’re browned in spots (about 3 minutes). Don’t walk away, because they’ll go from perfect to burned rather quickly. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
8. Heat the remaining 1 TBsp of oil and let it heat up over a high flame. Add the zucchini, corn, scallions, and salt. This part will take about 5 minutes. Leave it alone at first, but stir more toward the end. The veggies should be browned in spots and the zucchini should be soft and translucent.
9. Stir in the ginger-garlic mixture and fry for about 30 seconds (you’ll be able to smell it).
10. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the hoisin sauce mixture.
11. Stir in the cashews, mint, and cilantro and serve. If you’re not serving it right away, transfer the stir-fry to a plate so that it doesn’t continue to cook and get mushy.



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