Meyer Lemon-Infused Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a classic French country dish, a delightful blend of vegetables stewed into a stew. It’s the ultimate comfort food, and can be made entirely vegan, or with the addition of a little cheese melt to add contrasting flavor and texture. Our version adds the freshness of a Limoneira® Meyer lemon finish to the traditional recipe.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 red onion chopped
- 2 eggplants peeled
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 Limoneira® Meyer lemon zest & juice
- 6 ripe tomatoes chopped
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 bell pepper
- 3 medium zucchini
- 3 sprigs fresh basil
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme chopped
- 1 sprig fresh oregano chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup Port Salut cheese optional
Instructions
- Cut the eggplant into 1/2-inch cubes. Seed the peppers, and cut them into about 1-inch pieces. Cut the zucchini in half, and then each half into half-moon slices about 1/2-inch thick.
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a heavy, oven-proof Dutch oven over a medium-high burner. Sauté the onion for 2 minutes, and then add the chopped eggplant, along with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook until the eggplant is softened, or about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and Meyer lemon zest to the pot, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Next, add the 6 chopped tomatoes to the pot, along with the bell pepper, zucchini, thyme, oregano, remaining salt, black pepper to taste, lemon juice, and red chilli pepper flakes. Also add half of the basil.
- Reduce heat to a medium setting, and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Stir 1 tablespoon of the vinegar into the pot, and sprinkle the cherry tomato halves on top of the mixture. If you are transferring to a casserole, do that first, then top with the cherry tomatoes.
- Pop it into the oven, and bake uncovered for about 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, and quickly stir in the remaining balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
- If you are adding the cheese, grate it and sprinkle it on top now.
- Garnish with remaining fresh basil, and serve with fresh bread, noodles or rice.
Notes
* When it comes to the tomatoes, the riper, the better. * If you don’t have an ovenproof pot, you can do the stovetop cooking in a soup pot, and then transfer it to a casserole dish to cook in the oven.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
