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Mediterranean Vegetable Casserole
(Ratatouille)
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| What You Need: |
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3 pounds firm ripe tomatoes
1½ to 2 pounds eggplant, peeled and sliced ¾ inch thick
1½ pounds zucchini, unpeeled, sliced ½ inch thick
¼ to ½ cup olive oil
¾ pound green peppers, seeded and cut in 1-inch squares (about 2 cups)
2½ cups thinly sliced onions
½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon finely cut fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil, crumbled
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic cloves
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Peel the tomatoes, cut them into quarters, and cut away the pulp and seeds, leaving only the shells. Cut the shells into ½-inch-wide strips and drain on paper towels.
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2. Lightly salt the eggplant and zucchini slices, spread them in one layer between paper towels, and weight them with a large, heavy platter. After 20 to 30 minutes, dry the eggplant and zucchini thoroughly with fresh paper towels.
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3. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, bring ¼ cup of olive oil almost to the smoking point over moderately high heat, and brown the eggplant slices for a minute or two on each side, working quickly to prevent them from soaking up too much oil. Don't worry if they don't brown evenly. Remove them to paper towels to drain.
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4. In the same skillet, lightly brown the zucchini, peppers and onions one after another, adding more oil whenever necessary. Drain the zucchini and peppers on paper towels, but remove the onions to a plate. With a fork, stir the parsley, basil and garlic together in a small bowl.
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5. Pour 1 tablespoon of the oil remaining in the skillet into a heavy 4- to 5-quart enameled casserole. Spread one third of the eggplant slices on the bottom, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the herb and garlic mixture, and season with salt and pepper.
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6. Arrange successive layers of half the zucchini, half the peppers, half the onions and half the tomatoes-sprinkling herbs and salt and pepper on each layer. Repeat. Finish with a layer of the remaining eggplant. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley mixture, salt and pepper, and pour in the oil left in the skillet.
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7. Over moderately high heat, bring the casserole to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Every 7 or 8 minutes, use a bulb baster to draw up the liquid that will accumulate in the casserole. Transfer the liquid to a small saucepan.
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8. In 20 to 30 minutes, when the vegetables are tender but still somewhat firm, remove the casserole from the heat. Briskly boil the liquid in the saucepan for a few minutes to reduce it to about 2 tablespoons of glaze, and pour it into the casserole. Serve the ratatouille directly from the casserole, either hot or cold.
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