Summer Vegetable Ratatouille with Creamy Polenta

So in between introducing undergrads to poetry analysis, grading research papers, and sending out promotional e-mails to magazine editors, I somehow found the time to make dinner from scratch and write a new blog post. Imagine that! [insert sound of delirious laughter]

I made a quick trip home this weekend, and before I left, my mom gave me a sack full of yellow squash grown by some of our close family friends. I wasn’t sure what to do with all of it, but the current sale on produce at my local grocery store helped me solve that conundrum. Big, gorgeous eggplants were on sale for 88 cents/pound, and red peppers were a miraculous $1/each. That settled the matter: I would make ratatouille. 

But first, allow me to digress for a moment. Being a red pepper junkie, the usual price of this scarlet treasure-trove of flavor usual leaves me unable to indulge as much as I would like. I’ve seen them as much as $2/each. So whenever they go on sale, I stock up and freeze them. The process is very simple. Just slice your peppers into strips (or however you want to, for that matter), and place them on a metal baking sheet. Then allow them to set in the freezer for an hour or two. The direct contact with the baking sheet allows them to freeze more quickly, which helps them maintain their crispness. Then, place them in plastic storage bags, and you’re set for future recipes! I personally love using them for pimento cheese when fresh pimentos aren’t readily available. 

 (Sweet mother of red pepper-y goodness.)

Back to the ratatouille, my friend Matt made this exact same dish when we were living together a while back, and I simply couldn’t believe that a vegetarian recipe could be so decadent. However, this ratatouille is hearty and full of flavor, and the creamy polenta adds a whole new layer of richness to the dish. For those unfamiliar with polenta, think of it as Italian-style grits. If you’re unable to locate polenta in your local store, just make up a batch of down-home style cheese grits instead – it’ll be just as good.

I adapted the ratatouille recipe somewhat to accommodate what I had in my kitchen. Granted, traditional ratatouille doesn’t include yellow squash, but living in the Deep South in the summer, yellow squash is hard to avoid – and freshly picked, it’s also pretty freakin’ good. Feel free to make additions or substitutions as you wish.

Summer Vegetable Ratatouille

Olive oil (you’ll need a good bit)

2 red peppers

1 onion, chopped

3-4 large cloves of garlic

1 can of crushed tomatoes

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. Herbes de Provence

Salt and pepper

1 large eggplant

2 lbs. (estimated) yellow squash and zucchini

After removing the cores, slice the red peppers into strips and place on a baking sheet, lightly tossing with 2 tbs. of olive oil. Roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until tender. Reserve.

In a large pot, add 2 tbs. of olive oil along with the chopped onion, and set the temperature to medium. Smash your garlic cloves* and add to the pot, and allow the aromatics to cook until tender (about 10-15 minutes or so). Then add the reserved red peppers, crushed tomatoes, and herbs. Just eyeball the salt and pepper, or add later to your own tastes (I usually go with 1 tsp. salt, ½ tsp. pepper). Cover and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Then puree the mixture (either a hand blender or regular blender will do). Reserve.

*I HATE chopping garlic with an unearthly passion, so I try to avoid it as much as possible. Since the sauce is going to be pureed anyway, just smash the cloves with the back of your knife to make life easier on yourself.

Next, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Chop the yellow squash and zucchini into ½ inch cubes, and place on a baking sheet. Toss with 2 tbs. of olive oil and roast until slightly browned on the bottom and the edges. Then, give the eggplant the exact same treatment*, cutting into ½ inch cubes, tossing with 2 tbs. of olive oil, and roasting until browned.

*I always peel my eggplant, because I don’t like the bitterness of the peel, but you can leave it on if you so wish.

Then, add the roasted vegetables to the reserved tomato-red pepper sauce and allow the mix to simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Then, it’s ready to serve.

Creamy Polenta

(This is where the recipe gets kinda unhealthy-ish. But hey, you’re going vegetarian, so don’t worry. Treat yourself!)

1 cup of quick-cooking polenta

4 cups water

1 tsp. salt

4 tbs. butter

1 8 oz. block of cream cheese

In a pot, combine the water and salt and bring to a boil. Add the polenta and remove the pot from the heat, whisking the mixture vigorously until creamy. Add butter and cream cheese and blend the mixture together.

When ready to eat, serve the polenta in a bowl with a hearty helping of ratatouille on top. This is truly summertime decadence at its finest.