The sun poked its orange face out for about 15 minutes the other day as if to remind us here in Seattle that it is, indeed, Spring. The pollinating trees, unfortunately, have already been doing a fine job of reminding many of us, as can be seen in our runny noses and red glazed-over eyes. But that brief little sunny moment (quickly followed by rain – ah, life in Seattle) inspired me to make a dish that brings color to a cloudy day.

Ratatouille.

Ratatouille is a French Provençal dish comprised mainly of tomatoes, but also includes eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, garlic, onions and herbs. It’s not a quick-fix meal, as it needs to stew for at least two hours, but it is well worth the wait.

This is a gorgeous veggie-packed dish that’s excellent as a main course or as a side, and gets even better the next day! We sliced the vegetables thinly on a mandoline, but you can rough chop them for a more rustic version. I prefer to use Japanese eggplant, in lieu of the larger variety, as I find it less acidic. I also find that caramelizing the onions adds a wonderfully sweet flavor to the dish.

See the recipe here:

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We’ve had a sudden burst of fabulous weather here in the Bay Area that has given me a serious case of Spring Fever. It also makes me crave fresh veggies plucked straight from the vine and still warm from the sun. Unfortunately, I don’t have a garden –yet! So I went out prowling my local markets for some colorful and flavorful ingredients to satiate my Spring hankering.

I was lucky enough to find some mini multi-colored Heirloom tomatoes. Light green, dark green, deep red, orange and even a couple of white ones. These are definitely not the anemic- looking tomatoes that we’re stuck with all winter long in supermarkets. These beauties seemed to sing, “I feel pretty, oh so pretty!”

I also grabbed some basil, avocado, and fresh Perlini mozzarella. Perlini, or “pearls,” are tiny one ounce mozzarella balls that are beautiful sprinkled in salads. I tossed in a splash of olive oil and a quality balsamic vinegar, a dash of fresh cracked pepper and a pinch of sea salt.

Easy. Simple. Delicious.

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