You can find nearly all the ingredients for this dish (aside from salt, pepper and olive oil!) at our Saturday market. This magical moment of September bounty won’t last forever, so feel good about indulging in food as local and fresh as can be while it’s in season! This is a great potluck item to bake ahead and broil before serving. It shines at the center of your plant with a simple salad, and pairs magically with roast chicken or herb-infused shell beans for a protein boost. Whatever way you eat it, the aroma will fill your kitchen and have you giving thanks for these perfectly paired plants. What can go wrong when you begin with tomato, garlic and basil?

Note: Be sure to choose veggies of roughly the same size and slice to the same thickness. This helps ensure a consistent cooking time and cohesive presentation.

Baked Ratatouille

Recipe (adapted from Victoria McGinley)

• 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium-large zucchini (try one green and one romanesco for variety!), sliced 1/4″ thick
• 2-3 medium heirloom tomatoes in different colours, sliced 1/4″ thick
• 1-2 small Chinese eggplants, sliced 1/4″ thick
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Your choice of cheese (check out The Haltwhistle Cheese Company and Tesfa Farms for a recommendation at our Saturday market!)
• Fresh basil, julienned

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until they begin to soften. Add half the garlic, red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat if you notice the onions are browning too quickly.
3. Stir in tomato paste and mix until onions are evenly coated. Transfer onion mixture to the bottom of your baking dish, and drizzle with an additional tablespoon of olive oil.
4. Begin arranging your sliced veggies in the dish, alternating by colour. You can stack them in rows, or arrange them in a circle beginning with the outer ring. Sprinkle the remaining garlic over the veggies. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with more oil.
5. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40 – 60 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly and the vegetables are tender. Remove from oven. Turn broiler on high. Layer shaved or sliced cheese on top of veggies, then bake underneath broiler until cheese browns. Remove from over, and let sit for a minute. Garnish generously with freshly chopped basil, and serve!
 

Pick up produce at any of our three weekly markets: Tuesdays 4-6:30PM at the UBC Farm, Wednesdays 11:30AM-1:30PM at the UBC Bookstore, and Saturdays 10AM-2PM at UBC Farm. Learn more about our produce and browse other recipes in our Market Recipe Blog. Recieve regular market recipes from our newsletter here.