This recipe should more aptly be called “Colorado Farmer’s Market Ratatouille” as we were able to make nearly the entire dish with ingredients from our local farmer’s market. And, not only was it all local produce, but we were able to achieve nearly zero waste for the entire recipe. Oh, and I would be remiss if I failed to mention how flavorful this dish is. It was definitely a hit with our taste buds!
A few other notes: 1) this recipe is a “big batch,” so be prepared to either feed a large group or have leftovers for a bit, 2) this is an “active” recipe, requiring an hour-plus of chopping, stirring, etc., 3) we added parmesan cheese, but without the recipe is vegan and, with the cheese, vegetarian and gluten-free.
SUMMER’S END RATATOUILLE
Total time: 100 minutes / Makes 16 cups
Ingredients
- 10 tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 4 bell peppers (we used a mix of green and orange)
- 2 yellow onions, chopped
- 2 heads garlic, cloves peeled
- 2 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 2 eggplants, chopped
- 4 zucchini, chopped
- 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh oregano leaves
- 2 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
- 4 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- shredded parmesan to top each serving
Directions
- Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add bell peppers, onions, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add 4 tablespoons oil to pot. When oil is shimmering, add eggplants and cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to bowl with bell peppers.
- Add remaining 3 tablespoons oil to pot. Add zucchini and ½ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add bell pepper mixture, oregano, and thyme to pot; stir to combine. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring halfway through, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Stir in tomatoes and ½ teaspoon salt; cook, covered, until tomatoes burst, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover and stir in vinegar, black pepper, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt.
- Sprinkle parmesan on individual servings. Enjoy!
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