The heat has provided a smorgasbord of beautiful produce

The thick humid heat and intense summer sun has filled local gardens with plentiful crops of zucchini, yellow squash, peppers and tomatoes.

There are many seasonal dishes to make using your fresh vegetables. Garden-fresh produce doesn’t need much to taste delicious, but the abundance of peak-season vegetables can be overwhelming without a game plan.

So when our gardens are overflowing with plump bright yellow squash, tender green zucchini and shiny heirloom tomatoes, the best solution is to get cooking.

An old fashioned summer squash casserole is always good. And there’s also gazpacho, fresh salsas, summer soups and vegetable gratins to name just a few options.

A pretty and flavorful dish I like to make is a composed Ratatouille. It is a hybrid of a gratin with a simmered vegetable stew-like base.

The first known recipes for Ratatouille were in 18th century France. This Provençal dish created in Nice comes from the French words rata, meaning a stew with whole pieces, and touiller, meaning to stir, toss or mix.

The name ratatouille became more widely known after the 2017 Pixar movie of the same name where a rat befriends a young cook and helps him through the preparation of ratatouille for a food critic. Remy the rat’s inspirational quote “Food always finds those who love cooking,” is a favorite of mine and true to my heart — new dishes and techniques will always find you if cooking is in your blood.

This week I have included my recipe for Composed Ratatouille. It’s nice for a luncheon entrée or as a first or second course for dinner.

Enjoy!

If you have a cooking question, contact me at cher.orr@gmail.com and I’d be happy to assist!

Composed Ratatouille

Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 onion, diced

• 2 bell peppers, red and yellow, diced

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence

• ½ dried tarragon

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 6 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

• 2 zucchinis, thinly sliced

• 2 small eggplants, thinly sliced

• 2 yellow squash, thinly sliced

• 6 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

• 2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

• Heat a 12-inch heavy deep oven-proof baking pan or skillet, over medium heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When oil is hot add onion and peppers, cut to roughly the same size dice, and sauté with salt and pepper. When softened add herbs and garlic, and season to taste. Stir in canned tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in fresh basil and remove pan from heat.

• Meanwhile, set eggplant and tomato slices on paper towel lined sheet pans, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and set aside to absorb excess moisture.

• Arrange the sliced zucchini, eggplant, yellow squash, and tomatoes on edge in a circular pattern beginning on the outer edge of pan, and alternating vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian herbs.

• Cover pan with a lid or foil and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove covering and bake an additional 20 minutes. Top with fresh parsley. Let cool for 15 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.