Having a garden in France involved dealing with way too much of everything en même temps: tomatoes, eggplants, onions, zucchini, garlic…all the good stuff, just too much of it. Most recipes for ratatouille sautée and stew them all together with spices until they melt together and can turn into a soupy mess, and draw groans from the dinner table after weeks of the same dish.
I’m not a big fan of complicated recipes, and I love visual delights so this non-recipe is a perfect way to change up your summer excess. Quantities are not important here.
Baked Ratatouille Before
Alternate as many slices of eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, red and/or green peppers, onions as will fit into your greased baking pan. Tuck unpeeled cloves of garlic around as you like, clip a few branches of thyme, and rosemary, and savory if you can find it, crush them in your hand to release their oils, and tuck them into your vegetable bed. I like to stick a few bay leaves in, too. Drizzle about a quarter cup of olive oil over the top, sprinkle it generously with salt and pepper and put it into a 370° F oven for about an hour.
The veggies will melt, but still be decipherable. The juices in the bottom should be passed as a dipping sauce for bread.
Baked Ratatouille After