Ratatouille: Bring a fresh twist to dish this summer

Summertime, and the cooking is easy. Especially for those of us who eat lots of vegetables and prefer buying them locally and in season, now is when choices abound, and the hardest part might be deciding which way to go.

The old standbys always come in handy. When tomatoes overflow, I make gazpacho. When corn and fresh shell beans are in the bag, it’s succotash. And when eggplant, zucchini and bell peppers converge, ratatouille is on the menu. I eat it hot over pasta or rice and cold in salads. I pile it on to bruschetta. I puree it into soup.

And then I wonder: What else can I do with it? I found an idea in Vegetables Please (Dorling Kindersley), a new cookbook by Carolyn Humphries. She suggests adding a little tomato paste to a batter, making crepes and rolling them around ratatouille. But of course! When I tried the recipe, I had a little more filling than could fit comfortably into the wrappers, but that just meant I had something to spoon on top of them, too.

It was summer, inside and out. 

RATATOUILLE IN TOMATO CREPES

Makes 8 crepes (4 servings)

MAKE AHEAD: The crepe batter needs to rest for 30 minutes. The crepes can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or made up to a month in advance and frozen with pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap between them. The ratatouille can be refrigerated for up to 1 week, then reheated and rolled inside the crepes immediately before serving.

Adapted from Vegetables Please, by Carolyn Humphries. 

INGREDIENTS

For the crepes

3/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 large egg

2 tbs tomato paste

11/4 cups low-fat milk 

For the filling

2 tbs olive oil, plus more for frying

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and cut into thin strips

1 small eggplant, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 medium zucchini, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 tbs tomato paste

2 tbs water

1 tsp sugar (optional)

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tbs chopped fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for garnish 

For the crepes: Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the egg and tomato paste, then gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. The batter should rest for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling: Pour the 2 tbs of oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, eggplant and zucchini. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to soften, 5 to 10 minutes, then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, water and sugar, if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to medium; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is stew-like and thickened, for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the 2 tbs of basil. Cover to keep warm.

To make the crepes, brush a non-stick crepe or omelette pan with a little oil. Add a scant 1/4 cup of the crepe batter to the pan and swirl around to cover evenly. Cook for just a minute or two, until the bottom is golden and the top is set, then use a spatula to flip the crepe over and briefly cook the second side. Slide on to a plate; cover loosely with aluminium foil to keep it warm while you cook the remaining crepes, reheating and oiling the pan between each one.

Gently reheat the filling over medium heat if needed. Divide the filling among the crepes, rolling each one and placing them on plates with the seam sides down. Spoon any remaining ratatouille on top of the rolled crepes.

Sprinkle the crepes with the cheese and the remaining basil. Serve warm. 

NUTRITION

Per serving: 310 calories, 10g protein, 40g carbohydrates, 14g fat, 3g saturated fat, 60mg cholesterol, 360mg sodium, 7g dietary fibre, 10g sugar