WEEK #29 JULY 20th, 2026
Dear Customers,
If you stop to think about it, we are never deprived of fresh fruits and vegetables, even out here in rural Pennsylvania. Our ancestors relied on drying, canning and “root cellars” to ensure that they had produce – and of course gardens from mid to late summer onward.
But thanks to first railroads – then airplanes and big semi-trucks utilizing our nation’s system of roads and thruways – we
are never denied the luxury of produce. True, there are often out-of-stocks, or weather related (sometimes global) incidents that create shortages for days, weeks or even months. But by and large when you want fresh produce you have but to come to the supermarket to get practically anything you want.
My older-by-363-days sister, Judy, is a renowned cook. She inherited that skill from our mother who imparted her prowess to two out of my three older sisters. The other one just writes books!
I prefer meat as my main course, with vegetables filling in as side dishes followed by some fresh fruit as dessert – or with dessert. But this recipe that Judy makes is entirely made of vegetables. You may have heard of it, thanks to the 2007 Pixar film of the same name; Ratatouille. Simply defined ratatouille is “a vegetable dish consisting of onions, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers, fried and stewed in oil and sometimes served cold.” RATATOUILLE RECIPE
| ½ cup olive oil | 1 lg eggplant (1” cube) | Kosher salt, pepper |
| 2 red bell peppers ¼” strips | 1 lg Vidalia onion, peeled, halved-1/4” slices | 4-5 cloves garlic, mashed and peeled |
| 2 med. Zucchini sliced vertically, then cut into ½” pieces | 1 beefsteak tomato cut into chunks | 12 basil leaves sliced into thin strip
S |
| ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs | 1 yellow squash – sliced vertically then ½” pieces | 1 cup shredded mozzarella |
- Place eggplant cubes in a colander over a dish, generously salt with kosher salt and allow to rest for 30 minutes while bitter liquid drains away. Rinse with water and pat dry with paper towels.
- In a large, heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, heat enough oil to cover the bottom of the pot over medium high heat till almost smoking. Sauté till eggplant cubes are softened and starting to brown around the edges, about 5-7 minutes. Do not crowd the pan. If you can’t fit them in in a single layer, saute half at a time. Remove to another bowl and set aside.
- In the same pot, add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pot, heat over medium high heat, and sauté onions and garlic, then red bell peppers and cook till all vegetables are soft, about 8-10 minutes. Remove these from the pot and set aside.
- Once more add a thin layer of oil to your pot and sauté the last 3 vegetables. Once they’re almost soft, add back to that pot the eggplant, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook them together for 8-10 minutes so that all the flavors meld. Taste and correct for salt and pepper. Turn off the heat, and mix in the basil. At this point, the traditional casserole is finished. However, in our family we always continue with the following:
- Place the mixture into a serving casserole and top with breadcrumbs. If you have good olive oil, drizzle a thin stream across the bread crumbs. Scatter shredded mozzarella on top of the bread crumbs and place in a 350 degree oven till the mozzarella is melted, about 15-20 minutes. Serve with any crusty bread and a nice glass of red wine! Enjoy!