I moved over the weekend, into an apartment where everything seems clean and bright and full of promise, and the floors might even be more level. Moving was stressful, and hot, and I didn’t want to use my kitchen any more than necessary while packing everything up. So we ordered a lot of takeout. I roasted some limp beets. Made a salad. Ate plums in hand. Made some frozen pizza. Threw out the basil. Lost a squash to time. But now I’m feeling moved in, and with an abundance of summer vegetables, and an apartment that isn’t full of boxes, I cooked something real.
Ratatouille is one of my favorite stews to make. I used to not like it, or not get it. Mixed vegetables that I couldn’t identify made me really sick as a kid. I could not eat pasta sauce unless I knew exactly what was in there. That’s changed as I’ve aged. Or maybe kids just can’t eat nightshades. I can eat a lot of things I couldn’t when I was younger, and can’t eat a lot of what I used to. Ratatouille, fortunately, is on the can list. This recipe, especially, is what makes it so incredible to me. I found it years ago searching for an authentic-ish recipe, that wasn’t a dish of baked sliced eggplant. I make it multiple times a year.
This year, I was so excited to make a (mostly) CSA ratatouille. With the exception of a conventional shallot—in place of an onion—that was starting to go bad, and a can of diced tomatoes, everything came from the CSA. I used all of last week’s produce, plus a little extra from this week to prevent potential waste. It was incredible, even skimping on the time because I started cooking late. Don’t skimp, every ingredient really needs to the time to break down and blend its flavor with everything else. My only regret was not planning ahead in the morning and making focaccia to go along with.
Rhubarb Season 