Summer Lovin'

Summer is here and with it comes many delicious meals. One of my all time favorites would have to be Ratatouille or the fancier version Confit Byaldi. Last summer my husband decided to make it after a lovely trip to the farmers market.

It's definitely no easy task and you will need a mandolin (although my hubbie did these slices by hand), but the end product is definitely worth it. We served it with a delicious seared pork chop, but it works well alone.

Ryan didn't use a recipe he just went off of memory but below you will find one of his favorites. Bon Appetit!

THOMAS KELLER'S RATATOUILLE
Serves 4 to 6.
• 1/2 red pepper, seeds and ribs removed
• 1/2 yellow pepper, seeds and ribs removed
• 1/2 orange pepper, seeds and ribs removed
• 5 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic, divided
• 1/2 c. finely diced yellow onion
• 3 tomatoes (about 12 oz.), peeled, seeded and finely diced, juices reserved
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 sprig flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 bay leaf
• 1 zucchini (4 to 5 oz.) sliced in 1/16-in. rounds
• 1 Japanese eggplant (4 to 5 oz.), sliced into 1/16-in. rounds
• 1 yellow squash (4 to 5 oz. ), sliced into 1/16-in. rounds
• 4 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/16-in. rounds
• 1/8 tsp. dried thyme leaves
• 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the peppers cut side down on a foil-lined sheet. Roast until skin loosens, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest until cool enough to handle. Peel and chop finely.
Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon garlic and onion in medium skillet over low heat until very soft but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, their juices, fresh thyme, parsley and bay leaf. Simmer over low heat until very soft and very little liquid remains, about 10 minutes. Do not brown.
Add peppers and simmer to soften them. Season to taste with salt and discard herbs. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the mixture and spread remainder in bottom of an 8-inch skillet.
Reduce the heat in the oven to 275 degrees.
Down the center of the skillet arrange a strip of alternating slices of zucchini, eggplant, yellow squash and Roma tomatoes, overlapping so that 1/4 inch of each slice is exposed. Around the center strip, overlap the vegetables in a close spiral that lets slices mound slightly toward center. Repeat until pan is filled.
Mix 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, 2 teaspoons olive oil in bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle over the vegetables.
Cover pan with foil and seal well. Bake until vegetables are tender, about 2 hours. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes more.
For the final topping combine the reserved tablespoon of sauce with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Drizzle around plate. Serve hot.

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/taste/recipes/15800917.html