Grilled Ratatouille

The warm weather of spring and summer bring about lots of time spent outdoors. We love to grill in the summer and we also visit farm stands and farmers markets more often. I tend to gravitate towards meals that showcase the great veggies I pick up at these stands or that my neighbors drop off.

I've typically always thought of ratatouille as a meal prepared in the oven (as well as a Pixar movie), but I love the spin that this recipe has put on a classic meal.

Grilled Ratatouille

 

This photo is from when I prepared it on the stove, but it's still super tasty! 

Ingredients:

• Salt
• Pepper
• Cajun seasoning, to taste
• 3 tbsps red wine vinegar
• 3 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed with press or minced
• 1 medium red onion
• 2 medium zucchini
• 1 large eggplant
• 2 large orange or yellow peppers, quartered
• 4 ripe plum tomatoes, cut lengthwise in half
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions:

• Prepare your grill for direct grilling on medium-high.
• In small bowl, whisk vinegar, oil, and garlic.
• Cut onion crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices. Trim your zucchini and eggplant, then cut diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices.
• Brush half of the vinegar mixture on one side of onion, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes.
• Sprinkle with cajun seasoning.
• Grill tomatoes 6 minutes, zucchini and eggplant for 10 minutes, and peppers & onion for 12 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender and charred, turning over once.
• Transfer vegetables to a cutting board. Cool slightly, then cut into 1/2 inch pieces. (I remove the skin from eggplant at this time)
• Toss with vegetables with remaining vinegar mixture, parsley, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

You can serve this with pasta (you would toss the pasta along with everything in the last step. Or serve over rice.

I've made this on the stove when the weather wasn't good for grilling and it came out just as good (just a little less char). I also love picking up the pre-marinaded chicken breasts or thighs from Wegman's to cut up and toss in with this. My current favorite are the Cilantro Lime ones....so yummy!

 What is your favorite way to prepare fresh vegetables in the summer months?