Ratatouille and Collards over Creamy Polenta

My garden's production level is declining rapidly.

As the days grow shorter and brisker, my lovely fruits and delicate tomatoes shrink back to their pre-spring states and my herbs begin to wither.

The one upside to the start of autumn? Autumn fruits and vegetables!! Unfortunately, most autumn-season fruits require slightly more robust roots (usually in the form of trees) that my garden is just not quite equipped for, but I have been absolutely smitten with the wide and colorful smattering of pears and apples that have cropped up at the farmers market.

But the best part? Eggplant! Squash! Corn! Pumpkin! Potatoes! Alright, so those are multiple parts, but they are all equally exciting and the emergence of cooler weather means a BUNCH of new veggies to cook with.

Eep!

I decided to make a dish that would cram in as many autumn veggies as flexibly as possible: Ratatouille

Isn't it pretty?

And to pair it with? Not rice! Not pasta! Not bread!

POLENTA!! It's like the oatmeal of dinner. I absolutely adore polenta.

The ratatouille is a pretty flexible dish. This version is actually more of a ratatouille niçoise, but there's no need to get too formal.

The main thing that makes a ratatouille and ratatouille is the tomato and herb base, paired with some combination of squash vegetables, garlic, and onions.

I used eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers and carrots, but you could virtually use any type of squash and root vegetable combination.

Beets perhaps?!

Here is a rough recipe (You can cook your polenta according to the directions on the backburner!)

Ratatouille (serves 2)

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
• 4 big cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 medium eggplant, cubed
• 2 small or 1 large zucchini, cubed
• 4 carrots, chopped or shredded
• 2 bell peppers, cut into strips
• 1/2 - 1 cup vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 large handful fresh basil (chiffonaded)
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt

Begin by caramelizing your onion in the olive oil (medium low heat) in a large skillet. After about 6 or 7 minutes, add in the garlic and saute for a few more minutes.

Add the eggplant, zucchini, carrots and bell peppers along with about 1/4 cup vegetable broth. Stir it all together, turn the heat to low and place a top on. Allow to simmer and the veggies to soften for 6-7 minutes.

After the veggies soften a bit, crank up the heat to medium high and add the rest of the ingredients (except the vegetable broth).

Saute all ingredients together for an additional 6-7 minutes, adding vegetable broth if it gets too dry (but you don't want it to be soupy either!)

What I like to do is, while the Ratatouille is cooking, chop your collard greens and then when the Ratatouille is complete, dump it into a big bowl and use the same pan to cook your collards. They only take a few minutes so just cook em' up and serve both the Ratatouille and the Collards over a big ol' bowl of polenta.

A perfect autumn evening meal!

Enjoy!

Live long and prosper! And enjoy autumn's bounty!

Simple Seasonal Quinoa Base

 

Quinoa is trendy for a reason. Healthy, filling, versatile, protein packed, gluten free and DELICIOUS, it is by far my favorite grain. It's a wonderful base for all kinds of other dishes and I use it so much that I am always adapting it in different ways.

This particular take on quinoa mixes it with a smorgasbord of simple, seasonal ingredients to form a beautiful base for any meal (leftovers make great lunches too!)

I like mixing veggies and herbs straight in with my grains because the mixture adds flavor, vitamins and allows you to have a bigger portion without the same caloric density :)

I used this base for some baked tofu and sauteed mushrooms and green beans, all drizzled with a simply spicy coconut sauce. It looked roughly (and darkly) like this:

(Sorry for the bad photo quality and Christmas plate - I was hungry!!)

But the point is the quinoa. See how much color and prettiness it adds? Plus it tastes delicious. If you don't believe me you should really try it out for yourself.

Seasonal Quinoa Base

• 2 cups red quinoa
• 2 cups water and 2 cups veggie broth
• 1 head of lettuce, chopped
• 2 large heirloom tomatoes, diced
• 2 large handfuls or basil, chiffonaded
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp balsamic or other vinaigrette

Bring water, broth and quinoa up to a boil.

Allow to boil for about 15 minutes, and reduce to a simmer until all liquid is absorbed and quinoa is translucent and fluffy.

In a big ol bowl, combine lettuce, tomatoes and basil.

When quinoa is done cooking, toss it right into the bowl and mix it all up.

Add in nutritional yeast and balsamic and toss until combined.

Use as a side dish, base, main dish or lunch. Will stay in the fridge for up to 4 days!

Live long and prosper! And give into the trend that is quinoa!