Recipe #26 - Ratatouille with Cheesy Polenta

First of all, if you haven't seen the movie Ratatouille, by all means check it out. How much of the movie is actually about the French vegetable dish ratatouille? Very little, actually. But it's a delightful animated feature and highly recommended.

As for cooking ratatouille, there are probably thousands of variations that have been done over the years (centuries?). It's also a dish that usually isn't eaten on its own, but rather as an accompaniment or filling. We paired it with a rich, creamy, cheesy polenta, which is a perfect foil for the herby, acidic ratatouille vegetable stew.

Makes six servings.

RATATOUILLE:

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and cut into small dice
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
1 cup finely diced fresh fennel bulb
1/2 large eggplant, diced
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup seeded and diced poblano pepper
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup diced yellow squash
5 fresh ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
1 portobello mushroom, stem removed and diced
2 Tbsp. finely shredded fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and when it's hot, add the onion and garlic. Saute until the onion is cooked and somewhat caramelized. Add the chopped fennel and saute for two more minutes. Add the eggplant and cook the mixture for five more minutes, stirring frequently. Then add the peppers, zucchini and squash and saute for a few more minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for a couple of more minutes until the mushrooms begin to give off some of their juices. Finally, add the tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer everything for a few more minutes and serve hot over the polenta.

POLENTA:

1 cup yellow cornmeal
3 cups rich vegetable stock
1/2 cup grated asiago or other hard cheese
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 Tbsp. half-and-half
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Stir together the cornmeal with one cup of stock in a small bowl. Heat the other two cups of stock on a saucepan until boiling. Add the cornmeal-stock mixture to the pan and stir thoroughly. Simmer the polenta for about ten minutes until it's thick and pulling away from the sides of the pan.

Add the cheese, butter, half-and-half and salt. Stir well and allow to heat over low flame for just a couple of more minutes before serving.