Grilled ratatouielle - country cooking

6 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 medium (1 lb) eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
1½ teaspoon Salt
Fruitwood chips or dried grape vines
2 mediums Zucchini
2 larges Ripe tomatoes
1 large Onion
1 medium Sweet red pepper
1 medium Sweet yellow or green pepper
⅓ cup Olive oil
4 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Dried basil
¼ teaspoon Ground black pepper

Directions

1. In colander, lightly sprinkle each eggplant slice on both sides with salt. Let eggplant stand 30 minutes over the sink or a bowl until liquid drips out. Meanwhile, heat coals or wood in a grill until medium-hot, and soak wood chips in water 30 minutes. Lightly oil or coat grill rack with nonstick vegetable cooking spray and set aside.

2. Cut zucchini lengthwise into thirds, then crosswise in half. Cut tomatoes and onion crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices, keeping the onion rings together. Rinse eggplant with cold water and pat dry.

Place cut vegetables in a single layer on a tray or shallow pan.

3. Drain wood chips and place on hot coals. Heat grill rack. Place red and yellow peppers on hot grill rack about 4 to 6 inches above medium-hot coals and grill, turning every 5 nunutes, until blistered on all sides. Place peppers in a brown paper bag or plastic food-storage bag; let stand until cool enough to handle.

4. Meanwhile, in skillet on the grill, heat oil and cook the garlic a few seconds. Remove skillet from grill. lightly brush both sides of vegetables on tray with some garlic oil. Grill vegetables over medium coals until crisp-tender. The eggplant and zucchini will take about 4 minutes per side, the onion about 3 minutes a side, and the tomatoes about 1 minute per side.

5. When all vegetables are grilled, return to tray. Peel, seed, and cut cooled peppers into strips. Cut grilled tomatoes into small chunks. Coarsely cut up grilled onion and place in skillet with any leftover garlic oil. Heat on grill over low coals for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and black pepper; cook on grill until tomatoes are bubbly. Cut eggplant slices into halves or quarters but leave small slices whole. Stir zucchini, eggplant, and grilled peppers into tomato mixture in skillet. Heat through and serve.

Country Cooking/Summer/94 Scanned & fixed by Di and Gary

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