Gordon behind our house by the huge snow drift

Thursday, March 10, 2011

RAT PATOOTIE

Izzy, Inara and I absolutely love the movie Ratatouille.  The best part is when Remi makes ratatouille for Ego. The colorful layers of zucchini, tomatoes, summer squash and eggplant complement each other beautifully;   the recipe looked so good that we had to find it.   We researched where they got the idea from, and lo and behold the inspiration for the dish came from one of my absolutely favorite cookbooks “The French Laundry” by Thomas Keller, owner of the “French Laundry” restaurant in California.  We made our own version of the dish with basil, olive oil and layers of vegetables which I sliced thinly on the mandolin Inara bought me for Christmas (thanks kiddo).  The Keller version comes with a roasted red pepper sauce that I think we will give a shot next time we make it.

Our version

1 small zucchini
1 small summer squash
1 tomato (heirloom if you can find it)
1 tbs fresh basil paste (in the produce isle)
 salt and cracked black pepper.
 Extra Virgin Olive oil
Small ramekins (like for crème brulee)

Slice all the veg including the tomato very thinly using a mandolin or if you have kick butt knife skills use a knife (show off!)

Spread a thin layer of the basil paste in the bottom of the ramekin, now layer in a circle zucchini, squash, eggplant and tomato, repeating the layers, see picture.  Spray or drizzle with olive oil cover lightly with a piece of parchment paper or foil and bake at 375 for 20 minutes until the tomato starts to give off its juices and the oil is bubbly.  You can serve in the ramekin or carefully turn out onto a plate. Drizzle with roasted red pepper sauce or add some olive oil to any extra basil paste you have left, steep for a few minutes then strain through a cheese cloth, you should have very bright green oil… drop around plate in fine dots.

4 comments:

  1. YUM! Thanks for posting! do I get to be your first customer? ha!
    I'm jealous about that mandoline!

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  2. I LOOOOVE my mandoline... i actualy think they got it at target for like 10 bucks... its not very sophisticated but it works better than a knife~!

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  3. Your looks a lot better than the stuff I made for Christmas. Of course, I am known for cooking my veggies to death...trying to get over that. I love my mandolin too...got it at Fleet Farm for $3!

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  4. You'll have to come over and try it!

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