Alice Water's Ratatouille Recipe

Alice Water's Ratatouille Recipe
This is one of our favorite recipes; it can easily be cut in half for a smaller dish, or if you have fewer vegetables. A great way to use up any extra eggplant, summer squash, and ripe tomatoes. We eat it with polenta and it's a great meal to usher in the late summer harvest season. 
from Food52
 

Ingredients

• 1 medium or 2 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch dice

• 4 tablespoon olive oil, divided, plus more to taste

• 2 medium onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice

• 4 to 6 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1/2 bunch basil, tied in a bouquet with kitchen twine + 6 basil leaves, chopped

• 1 pinch dried chile flakes

• 2 sweet peppers, cut into 1/2-inch dice

• 3 medium summer squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice

• 3 ripe medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice

• Salt to taste

Directions

• Step 1

  Toss the eggplant cubes with a teaspoon or so of salt. Set the cubes in a colander to drain for about 20 minutes.

• Step 2

  Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Pat the eggplant dry, add to the pan, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden. Add a bit more oil if the eggplant absorbs all the oil and sticks to the bottom of the pan. Remove the eggplant when done and set aside.

• Step 3

  In the same pot, pour in 2 more tablespoons olive oil. Add onions and cook for about 7 minutes, or until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, basil bouquet, dried chile flakes, and a bit more salt.

• Step 4

  Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, then stir in peppers. Cook for a few more minutes, then stir in summer squash. Cook for a few more minutes, then stir in tomatoes.

• Step 5

  Cook for 10 minutes longer, then stir in eggplant and cook for 10 to 15 minutes more, until all the vegetables are soft. Remove the bouquet of basil, pressing on it to extract all its flavors, and adjust the seasoning with salt.

• Step 6

  Stir in the chopped basil leaves and more extra virgin olive oil, to taste. Serve warm or cold.

Cowboy Caviar Recipe

Cowboy Caviar Recipe

A perfect recipe when we’ve got sweet corn (usually from another farm we love and trust!)

By Meggan Hill
This easy recipe for Cowboy Caviar is fun, fresh, colorful, and endlessly adaptable. It makes a great dip, salad, side dish, or even a topping for grilled meats. Always a potluck favorite!
Prep Time15minutes mins
Cook Time5minutes mins
Total Time20minutes mins
Servings24 servings (½ cup each)

For the dressing:

• ▢1/2 cup olive oil

• ▢1/4 cup granulated sugar or to taste (maple syrup or honey is an option, of course!)

• ▢1/4 cup white wine vinegar OR lime juice

• ▢1 teaspoon chili powder

• ▢Salt

For the vegetables (swip-swap all you want with the veggies -- this makes for a very flexible recipe)

• ▢1 pound tomatoes seeded and diced

• ▢1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas drained and rinsed

• ▢1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed

• ▢ 2 ears fresh sweet corn -- kernels trimmed with a knife

• ▢1 red onion peeled and diced

• ▢1 green bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and diced

• ▢1 red bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and diced

• ▢1 cup chopped fresh cilantro or fresh parsley, from 1 bunch

Instructions 

• To make the dressing, in a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, sugar, white wine vinegar, chili powder, and salt to taste (I like 1 teaspoon). 

• In a large bowl, add tomatoes, black-eyed peas, black beans, corn, red onion, bell peppers, and cilantro. Drizzle with the dressing and stir to combine. Cover and chill until serving time.