I found some small, round eggplants yesterday and some zucchini that
are large enough to stuff. The zucchini came in packages with smaller
ones, so I started thinking about making ratatouille with the little
ones. I'm thinking about the ugly stew type ratatouille
, not the pretty, composed slices type. It's overcast & cold here and
stew appeals to me at the moment.

I'm wondering if bay leaf and bell peppers are absolutely necessary?
I haven't made ratatouille in a long time, but I don't remember using
either and I liked what I made.



--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

"sf" > wrote in message
...
>
> I found some small, round eggplants yesterday and some zucchini that
> are large enough to stuff. The zucchini came in packages with smaller
> ones, so I started thinking about making ratatouille with the little
> ones. I'm thinking about the ugly stew type ratatouille
> , not the pretty, composed slices type. It's overcast & cold here and
> stew appeals to me at the moment.
>
> I'm wondering if bay leaf and bell peppers are absolutely necessary?
> I haven't made ratatouille in a long time, but I don't remember using
> either and I liked what I made.


nothing is absolutely necessary. do what you want.

"sf" > ha scritto nel messaggio
> I'm wondering if bay leaf and bell peppers are absolutely necessary?
> I haven't made ratatouille in a long time, but I don't remember using
> either and I liked what I made.

I'd say bay no, but peppers yes.

On Sat, 30 Jul 2011 08:40:33 -0700, sf > wrote:

>
>I found some small, round eggplants yesterday and some zucchini that
>are large enough to stuff. The zucchini came in packages with smaller
>ones, so I started thinking about making ratatouille with the little
>ones. I'm thinking about the ugly stew type ratatouille
>, not the pretty, composed slices type. It's overcast & cold here and
>stew appeals to me at the moment.
>
>I'm wondering if bay leaf and bell peppers are absolutely necessary?
>I haven't made ratatouille in a long time, but I don't remember using
>either and I liked what I made.

I have 2 recipes. One uses 1 bay leaf in a about a 10 cup recipe &
both use [lots of] bell peppers--- but I like bell peppers, so that's
no surprise.

One [my favorite] uses parsley, sausage and pine nuts with the
veggies.
The other is meatless, & uses thyme, a bay leaf, and rosemary.

If I was stuck and wanted to make it without peppers- I'd probably add
more onions-- and use both red and vidalias. [*maybe* I'd sub some
celery for the peppers-- I'd have to think about that]

Call it 'r'atatouille so the purists can't complain and put whatever
feels good in it.<g>

Jim

On Sat, 30 Jul 2011 12:19:31 -0400, Jim Elbrecht >
wrote:

> I have 2 recipes. One uses 1 bay leaf in a about a 10 cup recipe &
> both use [lots of] bell peppers--- but I like bell peppers, so that's
> no surprise.

I ran out of bay leaf and have forgotten to buy it the last three
times I've been at the grocery store.
>
> One [my favorite] uses parsley, sausage and pine nuts with the
> veggies.
> The other is meatless, & uses thyme, a bay leaf, and rosemary.

I wanted to make it a meatless side dish.
>
> If I was stuck and wanted to make it without peppers- I'd probably add
> more onions-- and use both red and vidalias. [*maybe* I'd sub some
> celery for the peppers-- I'd have to think about that]
>
I have some mini-bell peppers I could use, but I'm so-so on the
concept. I'd be more inclined to look for yellow zucchini or at least
a yellow squash rather than use bell pepper.

> Call it 'r'atatouille so the purists can't complain and put whatever
> feels good in it.<g>

Not to worry, I'll call it vegetable stew and won't serve it to
ratatouille snobs.

Thanks!

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Sat, 30 Jul 2011 18:19:05 +0200, "Giusi" >
wrote:

>
> "sf" > ha scritto nel messaggio
> > I'm wondering if bay leaf and bell peppers are absolutely necessary?
> > I haven't made ratatouille in a long time, but I don't remember using
> > either and I liked what I made.
>
> I'd say bay no, but peppers yes.
>
Hmm. Okay, thanks. I have some mini-bell peppers I can use... but I
wasn't "feeling" it.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

sf wrote:
>
>I found some small, round eggplants yesterday and some zucchini that
>are large enough to stuff. The zucchini came in packages with smaller
>ones, so I started thinking about making ratatouille with the little
>ones.
>
>I'm wondering if bay leaf and bell peppers are absolutely necessary?

There are no rules, ratatouille is just a french word for a vegetable
stew... can contain whatever vegetables you like... doesn't even have
to contain zucchini or eggplant. I think the only manditory
ingredient is tomato... I add a couple three bay leaves but you don't
have to... can contain onion, garlic, celery, carrot, potato, green
beans, mushrooms, bell peppers of all colors, parsley, corn, turnip,
okra... whatever... it's one of those dishes I make often, a great way
to clean out the fridge of excess veggies before they go off, I'm sure
how such dishes originally evolved. For last night's dinner my
vegetable stew contained pasta, and I have enough for tonight too:
http://i55.tinypic.com/2r57t6u.jpg

On Sat, 30 Jul 2011 14:42:08 -0400, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:

> sf wrote:
> >
> >I found some small, round eggplants yesterday and some zucchini that
> >are large enough to stuff. The zucchini came in packages with smaller
> >ones, so I started thinking about making ratatouille with the little
> >ones.
> >
> >I'm wondering if bay leaf and bell peppers are absolutely necessary?
>
> There are no rules, ratatouille is just a french word for a vegetable
> stew... can contain whatever vegetables you like... doesn't even have
> to contain zucchini or eggplant. I think the only manditory
> ingredient is tomato... I add a couple three bay leaves but you don't
> have to... can contain onion, garlic, celery, carrot, potato, green
> beans, mushrooms, bell peppers of all colors, parsley, corn, turnip,
> okra... whatever... it's one of those dishes I make often, a great way
> to clean out the fridge of excess veggies before they go off, I'm sure
> how such dishes originally evolved. For last night's dinner my
> vegetable stew contained pasta, and I have enough for tonight too:
> http://i55.tinypic.com/2r57t6u.jpg

Thanks, much appreciated!

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Sat, 30 Jul 2011 08:40:33 -0700, sf > wrote:

>
> I'm wondering if bay leaf and bell peppers are absolutely necessary?

I bought some bay, but I think the oregano was all it needed. I
didn't feel like using peppers and then at the last minute I realized
I had a pepper dip/topping mix that I hadn't used up yet so I put a
tablespoon or so of it in. I didn't think I'd put in too much, but it
made the mixture sweet. Not a good thing.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Sun, 31 Jul 2011 11:30:08 -0700, sf > wrote:

>On Sat, 30 Jul 2011 08:40:33 -0700, sf > wrote:
>
>>
>> I'm wondering if bay leaf and bell peppers are absolutely necessary?
>
>I bought some bay, but I think the oregano was all it needed. I
>didn't feel like using peppers and then at the last minute I realized
>I had a pepper dip/topping mix that I hadn't used up yet so I put a
>tablespoon or so of it in. I didn't think I'd put in too much, but it
>made the mixture sweet. Not a good thing.

The Julia Child classic ratatouille doesn't call for bay, oregano or
any other spice. But it does take time to prepare.

JULIA CHILD
________________________________________
CLASSIC RATATOUILLE

1/2 pound eggplant
1/2 pound zucchini
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons olive oil (not extra-virgin)
1/2 pound yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 green bell peppers, sliced
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, if necessary
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1 pound firm, ripe red tomatoes, peeled, seed and juiced
3 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt and pepper

Peel eggplant and cut into lengthwise slices 3/8-inch thick, about 3
inches long and 1 inch wide. Scrub zucchini, slice off two ends, and
cut into slices about same size as eggplant. Place vegetables in bowl
and toss with salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain. Dry each slice in a
towel.

One layer at a time, saute eggplant, and then zucchini in hot olive
oil for about a minute on each side to brown very lightly. Remove to a
side dish.

In same skillet, cook onions and peppers in olive oil for about 10
minutes, or until tender but not browned. Stir in garlic and season
with salt and pepper to taste.

Slice tomatoes into 3/8-inch strips. Lay them over onions and peppers.
Season with salt and pepper. Cover skillet and cook over low heat for
5 minutes, or until tomatoes have begun to render their juice.
Uncover, baste tomatoes with juices, raise heat and boil several
minutes, until juice has almost entirely evaporated.

Place 1/3 tomato mixture in bottom of 2 1/2-quart casserole (2 1/2
inches deep) and sprinkle over it 1 tablespoon parsley. Arrange half
eggplant and zucchini on top, then half remaining tomatoes and
parsley. Put rest of eggplant and zucchini on top and finish with
remaining tomatoes and parsley.

Cover casserole and simmer on very low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover,
tip casserole and baste with accumulated juices. Correct seasoning, if
necessary.

Raise heat slightly and cook uncovered 15 minutes, basting several
times, until juices have evaporated leaving a spoonful or two of
flavored olive oil. Be careful of heat; do not let vegetables scorch.

Set aside uncovered. Reheat slowly at serving time, or serve cold.

Makes 6 to 8 servings
Janet US

Janet Bostwick > wrote:

>On Sun, 31 Jul 2011 11:30:08 -0700, sf > wrote:
>
>>On Sat, 30 Jul 2011 08:40:33 -0700, sf > wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> I'm wondering if bay leaf and bell peppers are absolutely necessary?
>>
>>I bought some bay, but I think the oregano was all it needed. I
>>didn't feel like using peppers and then at the last minute I realized
>>I had a pepper dip/topping mix that I hadn't used up yet so I put a
>>tablespoon or so of it in. I didn't think I'd put in too much, but it
>>made the mixture sweet. Not a good thing.
>
>The Julia Child classic ratatouille doesn't call for bay, oregano or
>any other spice. But it does take time to prepare.
>
>JULIA CHILD
>________________________________________
>CLASSIC RATATOUILLE
>
>1/2 pound eggplant
>1/2 pound zucchini
>1 teaspoon salt
>4 tablespoons olive oil (not extra-virgin)
>1/2 pound yellow onions, thinly sliced
>2 green bell peppers, sliced
>2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, if necessary
>2 cloves garlic, mashed
>1 pound firm, ripe red tomatoes, peeled, seed and juiced
>3 tablespoons minced parsley
>Salt and pepper

I think that might be where my favorite recipe started. I added some
sausage chunks, toasted sesame seeds and pine nuts. [and doubled the
garlic]- but the process is similar, too.

It is worth every second of effort-- I serve it hot or cold depending
on circumstance. Great either way.

Jim

"Janet Bostwick" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 31 Jul 2011 11:30:08 -0700, sf > wrote:
>
>>On Sat, 30 Jul 2011 08:40:33 -0700, sf > wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> I'm wondering if bay leaf and bell peppers are absolutely necessary?
>>
>>I bought some bay, but I think the oregano was all it needed. I
>>didn't feel like using peppers and then at the last minute I realized
>>I had a pepper dip/topping mix that I hadn't used up yet so I put a
>>tablespoon or so of it in. I didn't think I'd put in too much, but it
>>made the mixture sweet. Not a good thing.
>
> The Julia Child classic ratatouille doesn't call for bay, oregano or
> any other spice. But it does take time to prepare.
>
> JULIA CHILD
> ________________________________________
> CLASSIC RATATOUILLE
>
> 1/2 pound eggplant
> 1/2 pound zucchini
> 1 teaspoon salt
> 4 tablespoons olive oil (not extra-virgin)
> 1/2 pound yellow onions, thinly sliced
> 2 green bell peppers, sliced
> 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, if necessary
> 2 cloves garlic, mashed
> 1 pound firm, ripe red tomatoes, peeled, seed and juiced
> 3 tablespoons minced parsley
> Salt and pepper
>
> Peel eggplant and cut into lengthwise slices 3/8-inch thick, about 3
> inches long and 1 inch wide. Scrub zucchini, slice off two ends, and
> cut into slices about same size as eggplant. Place vegetables in bowl
> and toss with salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain. Dry each slice in a
> towel.
>
> One layer at a time, saute eggplant, and then zucchini in hot olive
> oil for about a minute on each side to brown very lightly. Remove to a
> side dish.
>
> In same skillet, cook onions and peppers in olive oil for about 10
> minutes, or until tender but not browned. Stir in garlic and season
> with salt and pepper to taste.
>
> Slice tomatoes into 3/8-inch strips. Lay them over onions and peppers.
> Season with salt and pepper. Cover skillet and cook over low heat for
> 5 minutes, or until tomatoes have begun to render their juice.
> Uncover, baste tomatoes with juices, raise heat and boil several
> minutes, until juice has almost entirely evaporated.
>
> Place 1/3 tomato mixture in bottom of 2 1/2-quart casserole (2 1/2
> inches deep) and sprinkle over it 1 tablespoon parsley. Arrange half
> eggplant and zucchini on top, then half remaining tomatoes and
> parsley. Put rest of eggplant and zucchini on top and finish with
> remaining tomatoes and parsley.
>
> Cover casserole and simmer on very low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover,
> tip casserole and baste with accumulated juices. Correct seasoning, if
> necessary.
>
> Raise heat slightly and cook uncovered 15 minutes, basting several
> times, until juices have evaporated leaving a spoonful or two of
> flavored olive oil. Be careful of heat; do not let vegetables scorch.
>
> Set aside uncovered. Reheat slowly at serving time, or serve cold.
>
> Makes 6 to 8 servings
> Janet US

Here's another interesting way:
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/c...tatouille.html

I'm not sure about the coriander seeds but her recipes are absolutely
reliable.
Graham