Rataouille Recipe with Ingredients from Smart Pot Garden

Our love for tomatoes, peppers, squash, zucchini, and all things organic grown in our BPA-free Smart Pots resulted in a satisfying dish by @Amanda Simcoe. Plus there is a Disney connection! Let clean food be the first ingredient in your quest for healthy cooking. Ratatouille
Adapted from Thomas Keller’s “Confit Byaldi”

This dish is an elevated take on the traditional french roasted vegetable dish. This particular presentation was made famous by chef Thomas Keller after being hired as a food consultant for Disney/Pixar’s film “Ratatouille.” The recipe may seem complicated, but it comes together easily and makes an impressive presentation.

For the Piperade

1 small or ½ of large red bell pepper, seeds, and ribs removed
1 small or ½ o large yellow bell pepper, seeds, and ribs removed
1 small or ½ of a large orange bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoon minced garlic
¾ cup finely diced yellow onion
4 large tomatoes; peeled, seeded, and finely diced, juices reserved
2 sprigs fresh thyme leave, stripped from the stems
2 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
¾ bay leaf
Kosher salt

For the Vegetables
1 ½ zucchini sliced into 1/16 “ rounds
1 ½ Japanese eggplant sliced into 1/16” rounds
1 ½ yellow squash sliced into 1/16” rounds
6 Roma tomatoes sliced into 1/16” rounds
¾ teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon light olive oil

For the Vinaigrette
1/6 teaspoon thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Assorted fresh herbs (thyme, herb blossoms, chervil)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:

Piperade:
Preheat an oven to 450 degrees. Roast the pepper halves, skin side down (on foil or parchment) until the skin loosens, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest until cool enough to handle. Peel and chop, discarding the skin.

Combine oil, garlic, and onion in a medium skillet and cook over low heat on stovetop until very soft but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, their juices, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Simmer over low heat until very soft and very little liquid remains about 10 minutes, but do not allow the mixture to brown. Add the peppers and simmer to soften them. Puree the mixture in a blender or food processor, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Vegetables:
Reduce the oven to 275 degrees. In a round pie or ceramic baking dish, spread a thin layer of piperade. Arrange the sliced vegetables alternating over piperade, overlapping in a circle so that 1/4 inch of each slice is exposed. Continue alternating and overlapping the vegetables in a close spiral that lets the slices mound slightly in the center. Repeat until the pan is filled. Leftover vegetables are excellent when tossed in a sauté pan with olive oil and a bit of leftover piperade and can be served on crusty bread or pasta.
Before baking, combine the garlic, oil, and fresh thyme leaves in a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle over vegetables. Cover the dish with foil and seal the edges well. Bake until the vegetables are tender when tested with the tip of a knife, about 2 hours. Uncover and bake for an additional 30 minutes (lightly cover with foil if it starts to brown too much). At this point, it may be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. If desired, reheat in a 350-degree oven until warm, but it is also delicious at room temperature.

Vinaigrette:
Combine reserved piperade, oil, vinegar, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl.

To serve:
Heat a broiler and place the dish underneath until just lightly browned. Cut into 6 slices and very carefully lift each onto individual plates with an offset spatula. Turn the spatula 90 degrees, guiding the byaldi into a spiraled fan shape. Drizzle the vinaigrette around the plate. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.