Garden Vegetable Ragout with Olive Oil and Herbs

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot (5-6 quart)
• •Wooden spoon
• •Sharp knife for vegetable prep

Instructions

1. 1

   Warm the oil and onions

   Pour the olive oil into a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onions and set over medium-low heat. Let them soften slowly, stirring occasionally, for about ten minutes. You are not browning them. You are coaxing out their sweetness. They should turn translucent and smell like the start of something good.

   Use the best olive oil you can find. It becomes the sauce. Cheap oil makes cheap ragout.
2. 2

   Add garlic and eggplant

   Stir in the garlic and let it soften for one minute, just until fragrant. Add the eggplant cubes and stir to coat them in the oil. Eggplant is a sponge. It will drink up the oil immediately. This is exactly what you want. Let it cook for five minutes, stirring once or twice, until it begins to soften at the edges.

3. 3

   Layer in remaining vegetables

   Add the zucchini, yellow squash, and bell peppers. Stir gently to combine. Season with the salt and pepper. Nestle the thyme sprigs and bay leaves into the vegetables. Let everything cook together for five minutes, stirring once. The vegetables will begin to glisten and release their moisture.

4. 4

   Add tomatoes and liquid

   Scatter the tomato chunks over the top. Do not stir yet. Pour the stock or water around the edges of the pot. The tomatoes will collapse as they cook, creating a natural sauce. Cover the pot and reduce heat to low.

   If your tomatoes are truly ripe, they will provide most of the liquid. Add the stock if they seem dry or if you prefer a saucier result.
5. 5

   Simmer slowly

   Let the ragout simmer covered for forty-five minutes to one hour. Check it occasionally. The vegetables should be very tender, the tomatoes broken down into a thick, jammy sauce, the oil pooling in golden puddles on top. If it looks dry, add a splash more stock. If too loose, remove the lid for the last fifteen minutes.

6. 6

   Finish with fresh herbs

   Remove the pot from heat. Fish out the thyme stems and bay leaves. Stir in the torn basil and chopped parsley. Add the red wine vinegar and stir gently. Taste. Adjust salt if needed. The vinegar should brighten everything without announcing itself.

7. 7

   Rest and serve

   Let the ragout rest for ten minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to settle and the oil to redistribute. Serve warm in shallow bowls with a generous drizzle of your best olive oil and crusty bread for soaking up the juices. This is a dish that rewards sitting with it.

   The ragout is even better the next day when the flavors have had time to marry. Reheat gently and add fresh herbs before serving.

Chef Tips

• •Buy your vegetables from someone who grew them. Ask when they were picked. Vegetables that traveled a thousand miles cannot give you what you need for this dish.
• •Do not skip the resting time. A ragout that has sat for ten minutes tastes different than one served straight from the pot. The flavors need a moment to find each other.
• •Serve this at room temperature on a hot day. It becomes an entirely different dish, closer to a French ratatouille, equally satisfying.
• •A poached egg on top transforms this into a complete meal. Let the yolk break and mingle with the vegetables.
• •If summer tomatoes are not available, use the best canned whole tomatoes you can find. Good canned tomatoes picked ripe beat bad fresh tomatoes every time.

Advance Preparation

• •The ragout improves after a day in the refrigerator. Make it ahead and reheat gently, adding fresh basil just before serving.
• •Keeps refrigerated for up to five days. The olive oil may solidify on top. Let it come to room temperature or warm gently before serving.
• •Freezes well for up to three months, though the texture of the squash softens further upon thawing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 420g)