Summer Ratatouille

There’s something magical about our Sunday dinners. It’s the one day of the week when time seems to slow down, and we gather as a family to reconnect over food. This week, we decided to tackle a recipe that had called to George from the pages of Heritage of America: ratatouille. It took a long time to choose this recipe, Chris and George tried many times to veto the cookbook all together. The final decision on the recipe was made just 3 days before family dinner.

The day began with a trip to the market. Mama loaded up on zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, onions, garlic, and fresh herbs. The colors of all the veggies were beautiful, especially for this time of year. Back at home, the kitchen became a flurry of activity as she unpacked the bounty and spread the ingredients across the counter.

At 6pm, Brian, Charlotte and I headed over to mama’s house. We were running a bit late today, and Josh and Allison pulled in right before us. Georgie beat all of us to mom’s since he oversaw cooking the protein.

With the cookbook open to the recipe, we divided tasks. Mom handled slicing the eggplant and zucchini into thin, even rounds while George started cooking the lamb. Brian and Josh were busy discussing their next big tractor purchases, while Allison and I snuck around trying to get snacks from the cutting boards. Chris worked tonight so he joined the party at 8, just in time for cocktail hour.

Once the veggies were sliced and prepped, we tossed them into a massive cast iron and let them cook on the stovetop. We seasoned the vegetables with salt and pepper and added in the tomatoes. This ratatouille is made peasant style so instead of layering the veggies in a dish and baking them, they are cooked all jumbled together in a pan.

While the ratatouille was cooking, George continued to check on the lamb in the oven. He had stuck the roast with various herbs and cloves of garlic. Every bite would have an infused flavor of garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Every time the oven was opened, the most heavenly aroma filled the room.

While waiting, we made another round of cocktails and toasted to family dinner as Chris finally made it home from work. Laughter and the clinking of glasses echoed through the house, making the time slip away.

When the timer beeped, we gathered around the oven. The ratatouille was stunning—vibrant reds, greens, and yellows layered like a painter’s palette. The lamb roast was perfectly medium rare. The pair together was the perfect merger between rich man and poor man dinners. It was almost too pretty to eat. 

The first bite was pure magic. The vegetables were tender, each layer infused with the roasted tomatoes and the perfect hint of garlic and herbs. The ratatouille was a hit, even the picky eaters went back for seconds.

As we finished our meal, surrounded by the hum of conversation, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. This wasn’t just about the food. It was about the time spent together, the shared effort, and the joy of creating something as a family. Unfortunately, it was now that I had realized that I never took photos of the meal we had created so I took photos of the leftovers.

With an impending food coma, Brian and I said our goodnights and headed home. Here’s to another delicious meal in the books.

Summer Ratatouille

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. olive oil or cooking oil

1 small onion cut into wedges

2 Japanese eggplants, cut into ¼ inch thick slices

1 cup sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms or other mushrooms

1 small zucchini or yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and cut into inch thick slices (1 cup)

½ cup red and/or yellow sweet pepper strips

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges

3 Tbsp. snipped fresh basil, or 2 tsp dried basil, crushed

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp coarsely ground pepper

½ cup finely shredded asiago cheese or parmesan cheese

Recipe:

Heat olive oil or cooking oil in a large skillet. Add onion, eggplant, mushrooms, zucchini, or yellow summer squash, sweet pepper strips, and garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat about 10 minutes or till vegetables are tender. Add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with cheese. Makes 4 to 5 servings.

Up Next: Spicy Potato Shakshuka