Last Chance Today: Yours Now: Julia Child’s Ratatouille Recipe!

Get this recipe and all the guides for growing key ingredients guide now! [Food Gardening Network Preview]( April 26, 2024 [Make & Enjoy Julia Child’s Ratatouille—It’s Easy and Delicious!]( Get this easy-to-make recipe and all the gardening guides for the 5 key ingredients—right now! [Julia Child] Dear Gardener, Julia Child, the iconic American chef, author, and television personality, left an indelible mark on the culinary world with her passion for French cuisine. Among her many celebrated recipes, Julia's Ratatouille stands out as a culinary masterpiece that captures the essence of Provençal flavors and showcases the artistry of French home cooking. After chatting with Julia Child at her 85th birthday party in 1997, I’ve often thought about all of her food and the fresh ingredients they use—and I recently dreamed that she and I were together again to talk about her ratatouille: Bill Dugan: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I'm thrilled to have the culinary legend and beloved chef, Julia Child, with us today. Welcome, Julia! Julia Child: Thank you, Bill. It's a pleasure to be here. Bill Dugan: Julia, your ratatouille recipe is nothing short of legendary. What inspired you to delve into this classic Provençal dish? Julia Child: Well, Bill, ratatouille embodies the heart and soul of French cooking. Its vibrant flavors and colorful presentation are a celebration of the abundance of fresh vegetables, and it's a dish that showcases the essence of Mediterranean cuisine. I fell in love with it during my time in France, and I knew I had to bring that experience to American kitchens. Bill Dugan: Your approach to cooking has always been about making complex dishes accessible to home cooks. What makes your ratatouille recipe stand out? Julia Child: Ratatouille, at its core, is a simple dish, but it's all about the technique and the quality of ingredients. I wanted to demystify French cuisine and show that anyone, with a bit of patience and the right guidance, could create a dish that's both rustic and elegant. The key is to treat each vegetable with respect, bringing out its unique flavors while maintaining a harmonious balance. Bill Dugan: The layering of flavors in your ratatouille is truly remarkable. Can you walk us through the process of building those flavors? Julia Child: Certainly, Bill. It all starts with a good base—a rich tomato base infused with garlic. Then, it's a matter of coaxing out the individual characteristics of each vegetable. I slice the eggplant, zucchini, and bell peppers thinly and arrange them in a beautiful pattern, almost like a work of art. The key is to let each vegetable shine on its own while melding together in a symphony of flavors. Bill Dugan: Your dedication to using fresh, seasonal ingredients is evident in all your recipes. How important is it to source the best produce for a dish like ratatouille? Julia Child: It's absolutely crucial, Bill. Freshness is the soul of good cooking. I always advocate for using the best ingredients you can find. When you start with top-quality produce, you're building a solid foundation for a delicious dish. Ratatouille is a celebration of the garden, and each bite should reflect the vibrancy of the vegetables. Bill Dugan: Lastly, Julia, any tips for someone attempting your ratatouille recipe for the first time? Julia Child: Patience, my dear. Take your time and enjoy the process. Ratatouille is a labor of love, and the effort you put into it will be reflected in the final dish. Don't rush, savor the flavors, and most importantly, have fun in the kitchen. Bill Dugan: Wise words, Julia. Thank you for sharing your insights and, of course, your incredible ratatouille recipe with us today. Julia Child: It's been my pleasure, Bill. Bon appétit to everyone out there! [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership Special Offer—Just $10 for an Entire Year! UPGRADE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY! Become a Charter Gold Member today and get the Food Gardening Magazine and Library, Gardening Guides, and Recipes! [Gold Membership] Check out all that this new food gardening club has to offer you today! YES, SIGN ME UP NOW FOR JUST $10!]( Here’s the recipe for you! Julia Child’s Ratatouille [Ratatouille] Ingredients: - Eggplant: 1 lb. - Zucchini or Summer Squash: 1 lb. - Olive Oil: 4-6 Tbsp. (divided) - Salt: 1 tsp. - Mashed Garlic: 2 cloves - Yellow Onions: About 1 ½ cups or ½ lb. (thinly sliced) - Salt & Pepper: to taste - Green Bell Peppers: 2 (about 1 cup, sliced) - Minced Parsley: 3 Tbsp. - Red Tomatoes: 1 lb. (Make sure they are ripe, firm, seeded, peeled, and juiced! Roma tomatoes work well here.) - Note: If you are using canned tomatoes, you will need about 1 ½ cups. Directions: Peel and cut the eggplant into lengthwise slices that are about 1-inch wide, 3-inch long, and 3/8-inch thick. Scrub the summer squash and cut into pieces the same size as the eggplant. Place eggplant and summer squash pieces in a bowl and toss with one teaspoon salt. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow the liquid to drain, then dry all the pieces with a towel. Heat four tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet, and sauté the summer squash and eggplant, one layer at a time, for about one minute until the vegetables are slightly browned. Place cooked pieces into a separate dish. Cook the sliced peppers and onions in the same skillet, adding a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, if needed, for 10 minutes until they are tender. Add the mashed garlic and season the mixture with salt and pepper. Slice the tomato pulps into 3/8-inch strips, then layer the tomatoes over the peppers and onions, seasoning with additional salt and pepper to taste. Cover the skillet and let the vegetables cook for about 5 minutes on low heat until the tomatoes start to render their juice. Check the seasoning and raise the heat. Boil the vegetables in the tomato juice until the juice entirely evaporates. Place 1/3 of the tomato mixture in a 2½-inch deep stove-top-safe casserole dish, and sprinkle the layer with freshly minced parsley. Next, arrange half of the summer squash and eggplant mixture on top. Layer the remaining tomatoes and parsley. Then, place the remaining summer squash and eggplant, and finish off with the rest of tomatoes and parsley on top. Cover the casserole and put it on a low heat. Let everything simmer for about 10 minutes. Check it after 10 minutes, and season it if necessary. Raise the heat a little and cook everything for 15 minutes uncovered. Cook until all the juices evaporate. Avoid the vegetables getting scorch at the bottom of casserole by regularly checking the heat level. Voilà ! Ready to serve! This dish will impress your family and friends—and it’s not too fussy and goes well as a side dish with chicken, fish, or steak. And given the deliciousness, it just might be a way to get kids to eat veggies! And now you can grow the five key ingredients in Julia Child’s Ratatouille with help from these Gardening Guides from Food Gardening Network: [Garlic] These five premium Gardening Guides—Eggplant, Summer Squash, Bell Peppers, Onions, and Tomatoes—will give you all the tools for growing and enjoying these items … and not just in Julia Child’s Ratatouille either! Each Gardening Guide is packed with practical advice and information about the foods. [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership Special Offer—Just $10 for an Entire Year! UPGRADE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY! Become a Charter Gold Member today and get the Food Gardening Magazine and Library, Gardening Guides, and Recipes! [Gold Membership] Check out all that this new food gardening club has to offer you today! YES, SIGN ME UP NOW FOR JUST $10!]( You get articles about each food item that include: - Choosing to Plant from Seeds or Seedlings - From Preparing Your Beds with the Right Soil to Planting and Mulching - The Right Sun for Your Food Garden - Fertilizing, Watering, and Harvesting Your Plants - Choosing a Variety to Plant—Detailed Plant Profiles to Help You Choose - How to Spot, Treat, and Prevent Common Plant Diseases - How to Stop Pests from Harming Your Plants - Storing & Preserving Your Harvest - Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing Foods in Your Garden - Recipes Galore in Every Guide! - Nutrition Facts About Each Item - Home Remedies & Health Benefits of Each Food - Additional Resources for Discovering More About Each Plant [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership Special Offer—Just $10 for an Entire Year! UPGRADE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY! Become a Charter Gold Member today and get the Food Gardening Magazine and Library, Gardening Guides, and Recipes! [Gold Membership] Check out all that this new food gardening club has to offer you today! YES, SIGN ME UP NOW FOR JUST $10!]( But this is just a fraction of what you get with your [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership]( You see Gold Membership is packed with benefits you can’t get anywhere else! As Executive Editor of Food Gardening Network, I’m happy to have you as a free Bronze Member, but that only gives you a small taste of what Food Gardening Network is all about. When you upgrade now to [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership]( you unlock the key to an entire library of material, absolutely everything we publish about growing good food at home—all access and all the time for you, including: - [All-Access Membership in Food Gardening Network Gold Club]( only online resource for planning, planting, growing, tending, harvesting, and enjoying foods from your very own garden. - Subscription to Food Gardening Magazine—you get monthly issues filled with articles about how to start, maintain, and harvest food from your own garden at home. Plus, instant and unlimited access to the entire searchable digital library of back issues! - Subscription to RecipeLion Magazine—you get quarterly issues filled with hundreds of delicious and easy-to-make recipes at your fingertips, plus tips and tricks for developing new cooking skills. Plus, instant and unlimited access to the entire searchable digital library of back issues! - Gardening Guides—you get instant access to more than 60 comprehensive guidebooks that are plant-specific—from tomatoes, basil, and garlic to potatoes, pumpkins, beans, corn, squash, and more!—about how to grow, harvest, and enjoy the bounty of your home garden. Learn everything about specific foods you can grow, get recipes to enjoy with friends and family, and enjoy tips on health benefits and home remedies that use your harvest! - Cookbooks—you get full and instant access to 9 digital cookbooks, filled with more than 1,300 recipes! You’ll never run out of ways to enjoy the fruits of your labor with these easy-to-make recipes! From single dishes to a whole meal—we’ve got you covered! - Videos & Video Library—you get instant access to more than 90 videos in our library with gardening tips, tricks, and tactics; do-it-yourself projects for gardening and crafting items; and cooking videos to show you exactly how to make specific dishes. Plus, access to new monthly videos over the coming year! - NEW! Planning Calendars —every season of the year, you get printable planning calendars to help keep your garden on track. Calendars include tasks, checklists, notes, and recipes that use fresh seasonal ingredients from your garden. - NEW SERVICE! Recipe of the Week—every Sunday, you get a recipe with quick, easy, and delicious ways to cook food—delivered weekly to your email inbox. - Gold Member Insider—you get this exclusive email service, delivered regularly to your inbox, to guide you through the Food Gardening Network Library. Saves you time finding articles, magazine issues, gardening guides, videos, kits, and recipes that you won't want to miss! And all of this is available to you—right now—when you upgrade to a [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership.]( I want to see your name on my daily list of new Gold Members—you deserve to join like-minded gardeners and get full access to our entire library of material for optimizing your food garden. Please become a [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Member]( today—while this special offer lasts! Sincerely, [Bill Dugan Signature] Bill Dugan Executive Editor Food Gardening Network P.S. Your success with food gardening depends on you acting now—please claim your [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership]( today and get the only all-in-one-place resource for planning, planting, growing, tending, harvesting, and enjoying foods from your very own garden. P.P.S. More recipes await you when upgrade now—find out how to make even more delicious dishes to go along with Julia Child’s Ratatouille! [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership Special Offer—Just $10 for an Entire Year! UPGRADE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY! Become a Charter Gold Member today and get the Food Gardening Magazine and Library, Gardening Guides, and Recipes! [Gold Membership] Check out all that this new food gardening club has to offer you today! YES, SIGN ME UP NOW FOR JUST $10!]( About Food Gardening Network: Food Gardening Network brings you expert in-depth information and daily advice to help you grow good food at home and become the best food gardener you can be. Our worldwide community of gardeners, farmers, and cooking enthusiasts share advice and practical information on how to plan, plant, grow, tend, harvest and enjoy great-tasting and nutritional food from your home garden. Our magazine articles, in-depth gardening guides, how-to videos, recipes and cookbooks, and planning calendars help you improve your gardening skills, be a better cook, and enjoy all the benefits of successful food gardening—including saving time and money. When you join our growing worldwide community of more than 300,000 food gardeners, you get the information, advice, and camaraderie that can only be experienced with your membership in Food Gardening Network. You are receiving this email as part of your free subscription to email updates from Food Gardening Network. If you no longer wish to receive this update as part of your free subscription, please click the unsubscribe link below. [MANAGE PREFERENCES]( [Unsubscribe]( Help us be sure your email update isn't filtered as spam. Adding our return address [Support@foodgardening.mequoda.com](mailto:support@foodgardening.mequoda.com) to your address book may 'whitelist' us with your filter, helping future email updates get to your inbox. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Pinterest]( [Send us a message]( Did a friend send this to you? [Sign up to receive your own FREE advice about growing food at home.]( Copyright © 2024 Mequoda Systems, LLC Food Gardening Network 99 Derby Street, Suite 200 Hingham, MA 02043 Email: Support@foodgardening.mequoda.com [Our Privacy Policy]( Having trouble viewing this email? [View this email on the web](.