Summer Comfort

Maybe it was on my mind after seeing the movie last week. Or maybe the lazy heat of Sunday afternoon in the city got to me. Whatever the cause, ratatouille was the result. I slipped out of bed early Sunday morning and pulled on some jeans, careful not to wake C, still coccooned in blankets with one arm resting over his face to block out the summer sun already peeking through the curtains.

The Farmer's Market was mobbed when I arrived, as full of people as of tasty wares. Zucchini and eggplant are in full swing in the Baltimore region, and I snapped up a basket of each before retreating back to C's to roll up my sleeves and dig into some good 'ole lazy summertime cooking accompanied by a tall glass of lemonade.

Ratatouille is among my very favorite comfort foods. It's unfussy structure and savory chunkiness make it the perfect meal to spoon into a bowl and curl up with in a squashy chair. The brightness of the tomatoes harmonizes perfectly with the earthy, muscular eggplant and sweet zucchini while silky notes of olive oil and anchovy make sure all the flavors get to know each other.

My recipe is an altered version of one from foodnetwork's Tyler Florence. Have I improved upon it? I'd like to think so. I found his recipe a little too oily. Plus, his version also calls for cherry tomatoes (with skins). Including peeled canned tomatoes gives the finished dish a deeper tomato flavor without the unpleasantries of tough curls of tomato skin interferring in the general comfiness.

Summer Comfort Ratatouille

olive oil

1 lb. Italian eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes

sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper

1 lb. zucchini, cut crosswise into 1 inch sections

1Tbsp. anchovy paste (or several anchovy filets, minced)

2 tsp. tomato paste

2 yellow onions, minced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp. fresh thyme

28 oz. can Sun of Italy peeled tomatoes

1 tsp. balsalmic vinegar (optional)

Line a large platter with paper towels. Heat several tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant, and season generously with salt and pepper. When it starts to brown, turn down the heat to medium and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Move the eggplant to the platter to drain. Cook the zucchini in the same way: brown in olive oil, then cook until soft. Add it to the platter with the eggplant.

Add several more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan along with the anchovy paste, and tomato paste. All the anchovy and tomato to melt into the oil, making a salty emulsion. Add the onion, garlic and herbs, stirring them into the emulsion. Cook them until soft (about five minutes) and add the can of tomatoes. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low and let the ratatouille cook for another 20 minutes to ensure a soft, juicy consistency. Stir in the vinegar (optional) and let cool to room temperature.

I was halfway through a deep, lovely bowl of this aromatic brew when C sleepily stumbled out to the living room, his eyes all squinched up and blinky like a bat. "What smells so good?" he asked. My mouth was too full to answer. I just smiled.