…OF OUR LABOR, in the garden of course, is a lovely act indeed. Although outside it’s Augtober, crazy days of sun and rain,  the produce is ripening and the offerings are abundant and everyone seems to be sharing. Friends of mine run a wonderful nursery tucked within the area of commercial design shops around the old Norm Thompson building in Northwest Portland. Peter has a natural, graceful hand at growing plants and nurturing them to their full beauty.   His nursery is filled with clever choices of unique and handsome plants. With a handful of admirers popping in daily to talk shop and lend a hand, Peter has created quite a following. So in perfect style, he and Karen have been cooking and sharing a midday meal in the garden weekly, using some of the seasonal produce grown just for that purpose.

Last week they shared a meal of Ratatouille and Osso Bucco. Upon hearing the menu last week, I raised my eyebrows a bit, considering the cooking involved with these complex dishes (and reportedly a wheelbarrow is involved!) Karen reminded me that they started out a while back with hot dogs, but as the season progressed, and the vegetables ripened, they’ve stepped it up a bit. They now know how to pull off an amazing spread in the nursery garden, toasting friends and neighbors and sharing.

Ratatouille, a classic vegetable stew,  originated from Nice, France and focuses on eggplant, squash and tomatoes–basically utilizing the summer vegetables of the southern region. Many cooks add bell peppers, onions or shallots, basil, and olive oil to round out the flavors. The method of coaxing the most flavor from these vegetables varies. I tend to believe that sauteing each one separately in good olive oil until some browning occurs, caramelizes the juices and brings out more flavor. They get combined in a heavy pot, doused with more olive oil and herbs and cooked slowly together to meld flavors. This dish, like the Italian version, Caponata, is great with fish, omelets or with cannellini beans, couscous, rice or polenta.

Ratatouille

Cut the zuchinni, eggplant, peppers and tomatoes into bite sized chunks. Leave the cherry tomatoes whole. Sprinkle the eggplant and zucchini with salt and leave in a colander to weep for about a half hour. Blot dry.

Warm a heavy, oven proof pot over medium heat and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil–always heat the pan first, adding the oil after. Add some of the eggplant and zucchini one layer high, and cook in batches until just starting to color, seasoning each layer as you go with the salt and pepper. Remove each batch when done onto a plate. Add more oil, then the shallots, garlic and peppers to the pot. Season with the salt and pepper, and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until softened and just starting to color. Add the tomatoes, and mix well. Let this mixture cook another 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the herbs, then add the eggplant and zucchini back to the pot. Stir well and add the remaining olive oil to the pot. Cover and place in the oven to cook for about a half hour. Check to see if the stew has too much liquid. If so, remove the lid to help the juices evaporate. Test again after another half hour. Your ratatouille should be thick, with enough concentrated juices and oil to keep it moist.

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