Ratatouille Portobello

Recipe by TofuDiva Uploaded by Drimble Wedge

(One could argue that it's not ratatouille if it doesn’t have eggplant/aubergine, but my Provencale grandparents way of thinking was fairly freewheeling - they only insisted on using whatever was freshest. They did allow as how the tomatoes and summer squash were fairly important to the texture of the dish.)

Ingredients:

• 6 garlic cloves
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium zucchini
• small handful of Italian parsley
• 4 sprigs of basil (about a quarter cup, loosely packed)
• 1 medium onion
• 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes, drained (or 2 tomatoes peeled, seeded, and diced),
• ¾ cup (180 ml) vegetable stock (if using canned tomatoes, you can use the tomato broth for part of this)
• 1 Tbs. tomato paste
• 1 medium green bell pepper
• 1 pound (454 g) Portobello mushrooms
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded (optional)

1. Prep: Wash the vegetables. (Portobellos absorb water, so use a mushroom brush to remove any bits of soil and just rinse quickly right before using.) Strip the parsley and basil leaves from their stems. Dice the green pepper, onion, and portobellos. Slice zucchini into 1/4-in. (1/2 cm) coins, and quarter each coin. Coarsely chop the parsley and the basil. Peel and mince the garlic. Seed and dice finely the jalapeno pepper if using.

2. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat (I use cast iron). Add the minced garlic and saute until the garlic smell intensifies, about one minute. Don’t let it scorch.

3. Add the diced onion and continue to saute until onions are translucent, about 4 more minutes.

4. Add tomato paste. Stir and press to get the tomato paste to coat the onions and garlic. The mixture will cook and darken in color.

5. When the mixture begins to brown (about 1 minute), add the stock and stir until it begins to simmer. Gently scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits of garlic, onion, or tomato paste.

6. Add the diced portobellos, zucchini, and peppers. Stir to combine thoroughly. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring gently every few minutes, until the zucchini, bell peppers, and mushrooms are tender but not mushy.

7. Blend in the diced tomatoes. It will only take a minute or so for the tomatoes to heat through. Turn heat down to the lowest setting and stir in the chopped parsley and basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot with rice, or serve at room temperature with toasted baguette.