Ratatouille

by Liz Child

Ratatouille is a classic one pot celebration of summer vegetables. Although it’s a simple recipe, with humble ingredients, it’s all about timings and getting the vegetables cooked just right. Spongey, undercooked aubergine is the reason many people don’t like it. Aubergine should be silky and soft, and almost melt in the mouth and then it’s absolutely stunning! Serve with some good bread and a glass of red. We often add a drained tin or two of white beans or lentils to this summer stew to boost the protein and make it an even heartier meal.

Why not make a double or triple batch and get some in the freezer for a busy day? You could even blend some for a quick summery soup or a flavoursome pasta sauce.

Liz x

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 aubergine
  • 2 courgette
  • 2 red pepper
  • 4-6 tomatoes (or 12 cherry tomatoes, or a couple of tins of chopped tomatoes)
  • 6 cloves of garlic – peeled and diced
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • basil to taste

Method

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 200C.
  2. Chop the aubergine and peppers into bite sized pieces. Put them in a deep roasting dish and drizzle with the olive oil.
  3. Season well with salt and pepper, mix with your hands to evenly coat the vegetables in the seasoning. Then put the dish in the oven to roast for 20 minutes.
  4. After 20 minutes, remove the dish from the oven and add the courgettes and tomatoes, also cut into bite sized pieces.
  5. Add the garlic, red wine vinegar and a little more salt and pepper. Mix well and return to the oven for another 20 minutes or until everything is well cooked.
  6. Stir through lots of freshly torn basil and serve in bowls with fresh bread. Or it’s lovely with pasta or potatoes. Bulk it out and add protein with a drained tin of white beans or green lentils.

Roast Romanesco Summer Stew

by Liz Child

Romanesco cauliflowers have got to be one of the most beautiful vegetables we grow. Their mathematical fractal shapes are breathtaking to look at and luckily they are also extremely tasty! Our favourite way by far to cook them is to chop them into florets and roast them. Have a look at the end of this smashed cucumber recipe for a great marinade idea. In this recipe I use them in a one-roasting-dish meal to make a simple summery stew. This way you get some crispy tops and some soft, simmered bits too. All in one easy dish! Serve with bread, potatoes, rice or pasta. Or just eat it as it is.

Liz x

Ingredients (serves 4-6 people depending on sides)

  • 1 romanesco cauliflower
  • 3 large tomatoes (or 6 medium)
  • 1 white onion
  • 1 whole bulb of garlic
  • 1 drained tin of chickpeas (reserve the aquafaba for another recipe like this vegan mayo or this clafoutis)
  • a generous drizzle of olive oil
  • a good splash of white wine
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • chopped parsley to finish

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 200C and find a large roasting dish.
  2. Cut the romanesco into florets and put it in the roasting dish. Don’t discard the stem or leaves. They can be chopped into smaller pieces and added to the dish too!
  3. Cut the tomatoes into bite sized pieces and add them to the dish.
  4. Peel and roughly dice the onion and peel and slice the whole bulb or garlic. Add those to the dish too.
  5. Add the drained chickpeas to the dish next.
  6. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil over the vegetables and chickpeas then add a good splash of white wine.
  7. Season with salt and pepper and, using your hands, mix the ingredients well so that they are all evenly coated in the seasoning.
  8. Put the dish into the oven to roast. This is a good time to cook some potatoes/pasta/rice to go with the stew.
  9. After 20 minutes, take the dish out of the oven and stir. Then return it to the oven to continue roasting for a further 10-15 minutes or until you are happy with how cooked everything is.
  10. Remove from the oven and stir some chopped parsley or herbs of your choice through the summery stew. Serve in bowls and enjoy!