All of the key ingredients for ratatouille are available recent and local in mid summer time tomatoes, onions, zucchini, bell peppers and, in truth, eggplant.
While you call to mind eggplant, you think first of the oval, black-skinned cultivar known as ‘Black Beauty.’ That is the antique eggplant with its rich, complicated style and corporate texture even after cooking.
On the other hand don’t disregard in regards to the reverse eggplants to be had out there: Japanese and Chinese language language eggplant cultivars, very similar to ‘Little Fingers’ and ‘Pingtung Long’–slimer and additional elongated that ‘Black Beauty’, and the white skinned cultivars very similar to ‘Caspar’ and ‘Easter Egg.’
Regardless of variety you choose, the hottest eggplant should have a shiny pores and pores and skin and should be corporate to the touch, now not spongy.
If you’re looking up eggplant recipes inside the cookbook, it is imaginable you’ll be able to to seek out them underneath ‘aubergine,’ the British name for eggplant, and that name comes from the French name for eggplant which is–what else–‘aubergine.’
Which brings us to ratatouille, the usual French Provencal veegetable stew. The dish gets its name from the French touiller this means that that to stir, and from a French Army slang word “rat” this means that that chunky stew. Well, you get able ratatouille like this, slice tomatoes, onions, zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, add bits of herbs de provence and rather basil: sautee all in olive oil.
Ratatouille is a smart meal by itself, however it’s divine when accompanied by way of rice or potatoes and French bread.
