Google+ Allergy-Free Vintage Cookery: Remy's Ratatouille

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Thursday, September 8, 2011

Remy's Ratatouille


This is for all of you fans of the Disney movie Ratatouille out there!  As avid repeat watchers of said movie, we know every line and scene, and one of our favorites is when Remy the rat cooks his special ratatouille for the food critic, Anton Ego.  There is a beautiful shot when Remy deals out round slices of vegetables into a casserole dish and they magically arrange themselves in a lovely overlapping pattern.  Tonight, we tried to make that dish!

We left out the traditional eggplant, as several of us don't care for it, and just used zucchini, yellow squash and tomatoes.  Luckily, we found a tin of Herbs de Provence in our cupboard, a souvenir of last summer's trip to France.  This mix typically includes savory, thyme, fennel, basil and sometimes lavender.  As we carefully sliced and arranged the squashes, we entertained each other by repeating our favorite movie quotes and cracking up ("Sounds like Rat Patootie!").  If you have boys under the age of 12, you know what I mean.

I wish I had taken a photo of the dish before it was cooked, because it looked JUST LIKE the movie version.  The final product shrunk quite a bit and wrinkled so you don't notice the alternating colors as much.  In any case, the taste was delicious after almost two hours of slow cooking.  No wonder Anton Ego was transported back to his childhood by the flavor!

Remy's Ratatouille

3 large tomatoes
2 yellow squash
2 small zucchini (so the size of the slices matches the size of the yellow squash)
about 1/4 cup olive oil
about 2 Tbsp Herbs de Provence
salt and pepper to taste

In an oval casserole dish, lay overlapping slices of tomato in a spiral pattern.  Pack the tomatoes fairly tightly, as they will shrink as they bake.  Sprinkle with a little olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper.  Slice the two squashes, and lay alternating slices (yellow, then green) in a spiral pattern on top of the tomatoes.  Again, pack the squashes fairly tightly as they will shrink.  Sprinkle with the rest of the olive oil, herbs, salt, and pepper.

Bake for at least 1 hour 45 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.  Check occasionally, and if the vegetables appear dry, brush with a little more oil.  Serve warm.

Shared with Pennywise Platter at the Nourishing Gourmet and the Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as a Mom and Share Awesomeness at 36th Avenue and Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage and Whisking Wednesday at A Pinch of This That and The Other and These Chicks Cooked at This Chick Cooks and Show Off Your Stuff at Fireflies and Jellybeans and Simple Lives Thursday at GNOWFGLINS and Thursday's Treasures at Recipes for My Boys and Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist and Sundae Scoop at I Heart Naptime and Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop and Fresh Bites Friday at Real Food Whole Health and Friday Flair at WhipperBerry and Made By You Monday at Skip to My Lou and Recipe Sharing Monday at Jam Hands and Success U  at the Stuff of Success and Tuesday Time Out at Reasons to Skip the Housework and Homemaker Monday at 11th Heaven and Freaky Friday at Real Food Freaks. 

3 comments:

  1. Sounds yummy! Gonna give it a try:)

    ~Cindy (RetroRevivalBiz.blogspot.com)

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  2. What a beautiful dish, it just looks delicious! Hope you are having a great week end and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come back soon!
    Miz Helen

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  3. I Love Your Blog! This dish looks wonderful! Yes...We have watched this movie more than a few times. :D This will be fun cooking together.

    Thank you so much for sharing on Recipe For My Boys..Thursday's Treasures. <3 and Hugs!

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