Grilled Ratatoullie

Grilled Ratatoullie

The longer I cook the more I am reminded that what is most important is the ingredients. Sometimes the most simple, clean and minimally prepared ingredients lead to a dish that is transcendental.

Does it get any simpler?

Sunday at my house I always cook a restaurant quality meal and tonight it was pretty simple. Here was the lineup.

Menu

House Cured Olives

Antipasti

Grilled Rib Eye w/ Gorgonzola Compound Butter

Grilled Ratatoullie
&
Grilled Garlic Bread

Grilled Rib Eye Steak, Grilled Ratatoullie & Grilled Garlic Bread

I paired this with a 2005 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon that I had made myself. I had gone out to the Columbia Gorge on Friday to wine taste and hit four wineries during the day. I was surprised that the Cabernet I had made beat the pants off of anything I sampled during the day. My friends and I had sourced fruit from Ash Hollow Vineyards in 2005 and the Cabernet Sauvignon we made with their grapes was definitely a $30-45 dollar quality wine (props to us!).

Anyway, enough of the wine talk and on to the dinner menu. Anyone who reads my blog on a regular basis (the tens of you who do) know I am the Bobby Flay of my "Hood". I love to grill and I BBQ/grill 200 days a year. Tonight the grilled ratatoullie I made was absolutely transcendental. The flavors of all the ingredients were perfect and and I could taste each and every individual vegetable as it crossed my palate. It amazes me still that a dish of simply prepared vegetables can taste this good. The steak and the grilled bread was stellar, but the vegetables deserve an encore. Here is the recipe:

Grilled Ratatoullie
Ingredients
1/2 lb. Pear or Cherry Tomatoes
1 Eggplant
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Zucchini
1 Yellow Onion
1/2 Red Onion
3 Garlic Cloves (mince)
Salt
Pepper
Thyme (3-4 sprigs, leaves only)
Parsley (use your judgement)
Olive Oil (a splash)

Bobby Flay is in the House

Preparation:
Cut the pepper in half and stem and seed. Cut the zucchini in half and do the same with the onions. Brush the vegetables with olive oil and place the pepper, onion, eggplant and zucchini on a medium hot grill and roast for 4-5 minutes on each side. After you pull all the vegetables go ahead and toss on the tomatoes for about 2 minutes...just plump these small tomatoes up and toss with the rest of the veggies.
When the veggies are charred, go ahead and pull them aside.
After the veggies have cooled to the touch, go ahead and course chop and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic,thyme and parsley. Serve this dish slightly warm (right off the grill) or at room temperature.

Grilled Ratatoullie-this will make you forget the movie-