Ratatouille

Recent farmthisway distributions have been inspiring me to think of some interesting recipes.  Something that I had never tried until I saw the Disney Movie of the same name was "Ratatouille".  My kids instantly wanted to try this dish that the movie was named for.  So now, when the mood strikes, we will whip up the Disney version of this classic recipe .  Recently the vegetables provided by our CSA have been perfect to make a ratatouille without having to buy very many ingredients at all to complete the recipe. 

I was reminded of this ratatouille recipe when a customer came into the farmthisway tent at the Blasdell farmers market.  She was very friendly and outgoing, and clearly new her way around a veggie stand.  Once she started seeing some of the different fresh vegetables that were on offer this past week, her eyes glowed with excitement as she filled her bag and said "I'm going to make Ratatouille! This is perfect!" 

Seeing the joy brought to a fellow human being just by something so basic as selling her some fresh veggies was one of the highlights of my work day on Wednesday.  The way that people talk about their favorite recipes and the creative things that they do with the different produce is always fun. 

I also have the opposite end of the spectrum come through the market many days.  People who look at something like kale or eggplant and say, "I would love to try it, but I just have NO idea what to do with it!"  I am always happy to offer up suggestions on what I have done with it, and it often helps them to get the courage to try something new.  They will sometimes come back the next week and tell me that they tried it and loved it, like the man who has been adding kale to his morning smoothies all summer long, and sometimes tell me that they tried it but it just wasn't for them.  Hey, not everyone is going to love everything. 

But, if you are looking for a little inspiration, fire up some zucchinis, squash, onions, garlic, eggplant, peppers, and a few other ingredients, into a lovely Ratatouille, and maybe pop in the DVD of the Disney movie to have a special movie themed dinner night.  I always love seeing Remy and his passion for food.  Even if Remy is a rodent.