Now’s the Time for This Classic French Provençal Vegetable Stew!
Janice Feuer-Haugen
September – October 2021 • Vol 3, No 117
I saw a portion of a travelogue the other evening on the Provençal region of southeastern France. The host was walking through a farmers’ market in Nice. I was astonished and delighted to see rows of grab-and-go baskets filled with Ratatouille (rat-ə-TOO-ee) vegetables. Truly fast-food shopping at its healthiest. Each basket looked rather similar to this handsome Ratatouille Family portrait featuring the vegetables in my Ratatouille. For me, just the sight of farmers’ markets and home gardens bursting with late summer produce turns my thoughts to Ratatouille. And, propels me into action.
Ratatouille and I Go Way Back
Our relationship goes back to my college days in Berkeley. My new friend across the hall ate Ratatouille mixed with cottage cheese for lunch almost daily. At the time, it seemed much too weird for me to even consider trying it. Eggplant and peppers and summer squash—no way!
