Ratatouille

Some of my recipes are quick, week-night recipes. Sometimes I make dishes with 5 ingredients or less. And some of my cooking is particularly accessible to pickier palates.

This is NOT one of those recipes.

But neither is it a ridiculous day-long event. I would argue that it is much easier than it appears. And it IS a beautiful presentation (and yes, that's what I'm trying to get my children to say when they can't think of anything else positive to say about a meal). It's French home-cooking meets a bit of fancy haute cuisine. If you're not sold yet, I've got the clincher here: it has chevre inside. There. I knew you'd be interested!

I saw this recipe on epicurious.com and couldn't resist tackling it (with some simplification). Between my recent late-summer CSA delivery and my herb garden, I had everything on hand. And, well, because we love the movie Ratatouille. I did commit the grave error of letting my offspring watch the relevant scene from this Disney movie while I finished plating our dinner. They were somewhat disappointed that there was no clear semblance to the cartooned glory. Well, live and learn.

I served this with polenta. I took the same cookie cutter to the cooled and congealed polenta to create an additional layer for the leftoer Napoleons. The result was quite fantastic. Just another idea for you...

Ratatouille Napoleons

serves 4 as entree, 6 as appetizer

• 
  
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small red onion, small diced
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 c diced eggplant
• 1 c diced zucchini
• 1 c diced yellow squash
• 1/2 c diced sweet bell pepper
• 1/2 c diced green bell pepper
• scant 1/2 cup tomato puree or sauce (I use this)
• 3 Tbsp minced fresh basil
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
• 1/2 Tbsp minced fresh thyme
• 1/2 Tbsp minced fresh oregano

• 12 oz chevre
• 8 oz mixed baby greens (mesclun or arugula)
• 1/4 c vinaigrette

Cut eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and bell peppers into 1/4-inch dice. In a large heavy skillet cook onion and garlic in olive oil over moderate heat until softened and fragrant. Add the remaining diced veggies and cook until crisp-tender, roughly 5 minutes. Stir in tomato purée, garlic, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste and cool ratatouille completely.

Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

On a work surface put a metal pastry ring or round cookie cutter (at least 1 1/2" high) on parchment. Fill cutter with ratatouille, pressing evenly and tightly into bottom. Slice goat cheese log into 8 equal rounds and flatten one onto a ratatouille round. Top with more ratatouille in ring.

Carefully press on filling while lifting ring, leaving a layered tower of ratattouille. Make more rounds in same manner. Bake rounds in middle of oven for 10 minutes, or until heated through.

While rounds are baking, in a large bowl toss baby greens with a light vinaigrette and divide among 8 plates.

With a spatula transfer a round to center of each salad or along side the salad. Drizzle each salad with about 1 teaspoon vinaigrette and garnish with pine nuts.