Garden Fresh Ratatouille

Hello from Denver!

Yes, friends I am still in the Mile High City. And boy, it’s turned into quite the beautiful summer, hasn’t it?

I was walking through a farmers’ market this morning, and I was struck by one thing: TOMATOES!

Ah, summer is seriously the best time of year for these guys. Heirloom, Roma, Beefsteak, Cherokee Purple, Grape, Cherry, Green Zebra — I love them ALL.

Bring on the Lycopene!

(Which, in case you didn’t know…tomatoes are the #1 source of lycopene – which helps prevent prostate, lung and stomach cancers.)

So, being tomato-inspired, I wanted to share one of my favorite tomato recipes!

This brilliant recipe is actually courtesy of my bestie. She knows that I have to follow the Specific Carb Diet for my Ulcerative Colitis…so she researched and made this absolutely stunning dish at a recent get-together! (I seriously have the best friends).

It was a hit, let me tell ya. Layers of fresh veggies – tomatoes, eggplant and zucchini, all smothered in a delectable tomato and red pepper sauce. YUM.

And it’s Grain and Gluten Free, Vegan, Specific Carb Diet friendly, and Paleo!

Here’s what you need: (Serves 6 as a side dish)

2 zucchini, sliced thin on a mandolin
2 yellow squash, sliced thin on a mandolin
2 medium eggplant, sliced thin on a mandolin
3 tomatoes, sliced thin

Sauce:
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp EVOO
1/2 cup raw cashews

*Optional: Parmesan cheese (for those not dairy-free)

Tools:
Mandolin slicer
Good Chef’s Knife (Here’s the one I use and love)
Food Processor Large Skillet
Large, Round, Oven-safe casserole dish

Directions:
Prep your veggies by carefully slicing them on a mandolin. (Use a hand guard!) Set aside.

Next, make your sauce. In a large skillet, sauté your onion and red pepper with the EVOO, herbs, salt and pepper for about 5 minutes over medium heat, until softened. Then add the garlic, and let it cook for about 2 more minutes. Finally, add the tomatoes, anklet them cook for about 2 minutes, until warmed through. Set aside.

In your food processor, place your cashews. Process them for about 30 seconds, until you get a fine powder. Then, carefully add your vegetable mixture. Process until you get a smooth, creamy sauce. (You can make this a day ahead of time, and store in a Tupperware container in the fridge if you’re making this for the holidays, or a party/BBQ).

When you’re ready to bake it, place 1/4 cup of the sauce in a large, oven safe, round casserole dish. Spread it around in a thin layer. Then, alternate your sliced veggies in a circular pattern, overlapping like so: Tomato – eggplant – zucchini – yellow squash – tomato etc.

 

Then, pour the remainder of the sauce over the assembled veggies. Bake for about 30 minutes, until warmed through and bubbly.

*If you are not dairy-free, this would be great with some Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top!*

Serve warm.

My goodness, this dish was not only beautiful, but seriously delicious, too! It was the hit of the dinner! And not to mention, wonderfully healthy!

The sauce was cozy and warm with the oregano and basil, and rich and creamy from the cashews.

The oven worked its magic on the veggies – they became soft and tender. A perfect pairing with the tomato sauce!

Alright, that’s all for now! Just one more day here in Bronco country, then it’s back home to Ohio for a commercial shoot next week!

Hope you have an amazing day!

Do you like to shop at Farmers’ Markets? What are some of your favorite Farmers’ Market finds? 

See you tomorrow for programming as usual! OR – If you listen to my daily podcast over on Patreon, Oh What a Beautiful Morning! – I’ll see you tomorrow, bright and early! 🙂

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79 responses to “Garden Fresh Ratatouille”

  1. My brother would love this! He also has UC, and he’s always interested in finding new foods that he can easily manage. He’s had his colon removed already, but it’s still difficult for him to find decent types of food to eat.

    Reply

  2. I call it the prostrate gland as that is where it is at when malfunctioning. For that, eat raw as cooking tomato will make it acidic. Uncooked it is alkaline.

    Reply

  9. This looks amazing. I am now craving this dish. My son Carl does a lot of cooking with me so we are going to try this one next! Maybe it will make an appearance in my next blog post…

    Reply

  17. I don’t get to the farmers market often, but walk right out into the yard and pick it fresh from the garden. Tomatoes are one of my garden must haves! This looks yummy and I think you’re right… parmesan cheese would be a wonderful addition. 🙂

    Reply

  18. First seen this from the animated movie now seeing it for real what the meal looks like, wow the colors really glow out, I bet it tasted heavenly.

    Reply

    • Hahaha yes the movie! Thanks – it was definitely delicious! Hugs and love xox

      Reply

  23. That is literally mouthwatering. I might have to torture certain parts of the family and make this 😉

    Reply

    • Hahahahha you’re hysterical! Thank you so much! This dish converts even the most vegetable averse! Haha Hugs and love xox

      Reply

    • Thank you so much! Yes! I believe so! Through the blurb website! The links in my sidebar 🙂 xox

      Reply

  28. Made this dish last night from your recipe here. Super good! I did add the cheese! Served with a NY strip, grilled corn on the cob, fresh cantaloupe and watermelon, and sunflower seed bread. For the ratatouille, I substituted walnuts for the cashews, which gave it a little more earthy flavor. 🤗

    Reply

  29. I loved the movie – We’re big Disney/Pixar fans! We’re not sliced tomato fans, though. But, I wonder if I could substitute the sliced tomatoes somehow. Everything else in the recipe is good. And I’m drooling. Yum!

    Reply

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