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How to Make Ratatouille: A Perfect Summer Stew

August 14, 2021 by rogalsgirl Leave a Comment

Summer in Maine is a thing. Okay, obviously it’s a thing… a yearly thing… but it’s also a thing. A thing that keeps you as busy as the Swans Honey bees. A thing that keeps you awake at night around a bonfire on rocky beaches, mosquitos be damned. A thing that makes you want to snag all the plentiful produce at all the cunning little farm stands and turn it into bakes, boils or barbecues (or in my case, into a beautiful ratatouille). In fact, “Summer in Maine” is a phrase you hear thrown around a lot when you’re here. It can really be the answer to many questions you might ask someone. For example:

“How’s it going? How have you been?”
“Oh, you know. It’s summer in Maine.”

Or, perhaps:

“What is with all this traffic?!”
“Summer in Maine.”

It’s a way of saying things are busy and hot and beautiful and crowded and enjoyable all at the same time. Mainers know what summer in Maine is like, so the phrase is understood without much explanation. To me summer in Maine means frigid salt water swimming, humid evenings looking for fireflies with the kids, and lots of farmers market visits. The days are packed and the season always ends too fast, slipping through our blueberry stained fingers and leading us into an equally vibrant (but seemingly shorter) autumn. Plentiful are the Maine blueberries, heirloom tomatoes and oversized zucchini, and come mid-July my fridge is overflowing with all of them. Flourishing bouquets of herbs and dahlias also make a regular appearance in my kitchen. Lately I’ve taken up a particular fondness for zucchini. Last summer I discovered the not-so-mysterious simplicity in how to make ratatouille with the plethora of summer veggies I had collected one weekend. Classic New England recipes are just as commonplace in my kitchen: fried haddock, Maine blueberry pie, pretty much anything with potatoes. Ratatouille was intriguing to me, but not only had I never made it -I had never even tasted it. Turns out, it was much easier than I thought. One year later I’ve finally perfected my version of it. Needless to say, if you’ve been wondering how to make ratatouille, please read on.

Ratatouille is anything but part of the repertoire of native New England recipes. It’s originally a French dish, though I think that many people started wondering how to make ratatouille when the Pixar movie was released several years ago. I think it’s quite common now. It’s now one of my favorite things to make for dinner, because it’s simple, healthy and tastes delicious. It’s also great during the summer when you have lots of seasonal produce that you want to use. You can also serve it over rice, pasta, or alongside a baguette… so there is a bit of versatility there, too. If you’ve seen the movie, don’t be intimidated. The recipe that follows does not include fancy cooking or plating techniques. At it’s most simple (and in my opinion, best) ratatouille is roasted veggies that are then cooked on a stovetop into a summer stew. Zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes and eggplant are traditional, though red peppers can also make an appearance. I like to make mine with a shallots or onion, and plenty of garlic.

How to Make Ratatouille: A Perfect Summer Stew


1) Prepare all of your vegetables. I like to cut the eggplant, zucchini, summer squash and tomatoes into approximate 1″ cubes or so. I cut the red pepper and onion into smaller, diced pieces. The garlic should be chopped quite small.

2) Saute the onion on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until translucent- about 2-3 minutes -then add the garlic.

3) Allow the garlic and onion to cook together about 2 minutes, then add in the eggplant.

4) Saute the eggplant for about 5-6 minutes, then add the zucchini, squash and bell pepper. Saute everything for another 7-8 minutes.

5) Add in the chopped tomatoes and thyme, mix everything well, and sprinkle generously with sea salt.

6) Turn the heat to a low simmer and allow the vegetables to all cook together for about 8-10 minutes, stirring every couple minutes. This gives the tomatoes time to break down into a more sauce-like stew.

7) About a minute before turning off the heat, add in the freshly chopped basil.

8) Serve immediately over rice, pasta, or alongside a fresh baguette. The kids and I always top ours with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley.

Hi! I’m Amber Rogals, a food photographer, food stylist and recipe developer in Maine.

Hello! I’m Amber and I’m food photographer, food stylist and recipe developer living in Maine. I work throughout the New England area and beyond! I am the writer behind, Downeats, my food blog that aims to inspires others to cook and find connection through food. I live on the coast of Maine with my (amazing, wonderful, supportive) high school sweetheart and our (equally as wonderful and amazing) three children. I love connecting with others, capturing shared moments, creating recipes, and cooking with seasonal foods. You can read more about me here. If you are looking for a food photographer, food stylist or recipe developer please contact me here.

Filed Under: Dinners, Food, Recipes

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Downeats is a journal that shares food stories and recipes, and photography. It is devoted to home cooking, gathering with loved ones, living slow and imperfectly. The name Downeats is a foodie play on the Downeast region of the coast of Maine- so everything is New England inspired.

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amberrogals

Are you team pasta salad or team potato salad??
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I grew up on my Opa’s German potato salad, which was incredibly delicious every single summer and has certainly made me team potato salad. Since my mid 20s I’ve played around with a lot of different versions of potato salad (there are sooo many) but the past few years have found myself pretty loyal to this veggie one. The kids love it, too, so… bonus. 
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Now that warm weather is finally here, this is a great recipe to keep in your back pocket. The fresh herbs are really key, don’t be afraid to go heavy on them! Here’s the recipe:
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3 Lbs Red Potatoes, chopped into one inch cubes
4-5 Pickle spears, diced
2-3 Stalks Celery, diced
1/4 Cup Red Onion, diced
2-3 Carrots, grated and then chopped
1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
1 Large Handful Fresh Dill
1 Large Handful Fresh Parsley
Salt + Pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
 
Blanch the potatoes by boiling them about 7-10 minutes (until just tender, but don't overcook them so they fall apart) and immediately rinse with cold water or plunge into a pot of cold water after straining. Set them back in the strainer to dry for 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the additional vegetables as listed above. Most of these vegetables are diced. For the carrots, grate them with a cheese grater or food processor, and then roughly chop into smaller pieces.
Chop the fresh dill and parsley, and set aside.
Once the potatoes have cooled to at least room temperature, combine all of vegetables and herbs in a large mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise and mix well to coat everything lightly with mayo.
Add salt and pepper to taste (I start with approximately 2-3 tsp salt, and several good shakes of pepper)
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Enjoy! It’s soooo good.

#potatosalad #potatosaladrecipe #potatoes #recipes #recipeshare #f52grams #f52community #delicious #eatyourveggies #summervibes #summerfood #summerrecipes #saladideas #slowliving #slowlivingforlife #foodphotography #foodstyling #maine #newengland #thewaylifeshouldbe #eatmaine #momlife #momchef
Years ago there was a blog I read regularly that w Years ago there was a blog I read regularly that would post a cake recipe on Sunday called Sunday’s Cake. I always loved it because I love weekend baking with the kids. Plus you have a yummy cake to enjoy throughout the week (though let's be real, with now 6 of us the cake lasts more like one day, ha)
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On June 1st, I'm finally getting my weekly newsletter off the ground and out into the world: The Slow Living Supper Club. I’ll be sharing seasonally inspired family recipes, thoughts on motherhood, slow living lifestyle tips, and of course, a cake recipe every weekend. A few recipes to come:
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-Maine Blueberry shortcake
-Raspberry Spoon Cake
-Glazed Chocolate Zucchini Cake
-Black Cherry Clafoutis
-Summer Fruit Cake
-Spiced Banana Cake (pictured)
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And lots more! Interested in joining the Slow Living Supper Club? The link to join is in my bio!

#foodie #maine #downeast #eatmaine #newengland #cake #slowliving #supperclub #newsletter #communityfirst #midcoastmaine #thewaylifeshouldbe #foodblogger #foodporn #foodphotography #foodstyling #foodstagram #instafood #f52community #eatcaptureshare #yum #bananacake
Happy Mother's Day! A not-so-quick message for all Happy Mother's Day! A not-so-quick message for all the moms:
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You are amazing. You are needed. You are appreciated. You are loved. I see you out there killing it- even on the days it feels like you're not. Motherhood is difficult! I'll be the first to admit the mistakes I've made on this journey. Silly mistakes, bad mistakes, embarrassing mistakes, funny mistakes... and some painful mistakes. But motherhood IS a journey, and there is no way to venture through it and get everything right on your first try (or second, or third...!)
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If you're a mom you probably know how easy it is to slip into feelings of inadequacy, overwhelm, and exhaustion- mental or otherwise. It can linger for days, weeks, or longer. While these feelings don't creep up on me as often as they used to, one thing I started telling myself years ago is that the perfect mother doesn't exist. We are human; we all have flaws. We have unpleasant normalities. We get tired, we get hungry, moody, annoyed, self-conscious.... We don't always say the right things.
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What would it take for you to give yourself a little more grace? What would it take to focus on how far you've come, instead of the times you didn't have it all together? We HAVE to give ourselves (and each other) grace as mothers, because it's the only way to truly move forward. I am not a perfect mother and I will NEVER claim to be (so far from it, ahaha). But I am a great mother for my children, and I'm certain that you are a great one for yours. ❤️
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Happy Mothers Day 🌹
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#mothersday #happymothersday #momlife #momblogger #wahm #momboss #momgoals #parenthood
Drop a 💛 if you’re ready for spring already! Drop a 💛 if you’re ready for spring already! 
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A bit of raw honesty- these past few winters have been really hard on me. They’re dark, frigid, dormant and the isolation makes me depressed. Mostly this comes out in the form of extreme fatigue, creative blocks, and self sabotage.
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Mental health is something that I’m still learning to prioritize- it’s a practice. As a mom I have found it especially hard to prioritize, but on the flip side, all the more important. Right now, my mental health practice looks like this:
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-Exercise 5x per week. I mix it up with long walks and yoga.
-Meditation. Not daily, but a few times per week.
-Water!! I drink water daily, and rotate through essences by @freedomfloweressence which I’m basically obsessed with. Call it woo woo if you want, but it has worked wonders for me. I’m taking their Confidence one currently!
-Talking with a therapist once a month (highly recommend @elizabeth.ritual if you’re looking!)
-Daily journal. This is the biggest and most impactful for my healing and wellness journey. Writing has always been my internal process, and it has done wonders for my mental health.
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I know how easy it is to not prioritize mental health or even not take it seriously, but in my experience it truly can take a toll on physical health, relationships, life goals, etc. Do you prioritize mental health? Share one of your non-negotiables 👇👇
I started my business, Downeats, a year ago after I started my business, Downeats, a year ago after spending 2021 building my skills as a food photographer. Downeats is a play on the word “Downeast”- a way to pay homage to Maine which has shaped the majority of my experience with food. I wanted to work with amazing food brands doing food and lifestyle photography and styling, and build an online blog/community that provided people with simple, beautiful and seasonally inspired recipes.
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In January 2022, when I started Downeats, I wrote down local businesses that I would be absolutely thrilled to work with. Back then I was way to intimidated to reach out and “pitch” to them, but they were on my list and I eyed them from afar…. Mostly just dreaming. A few of them were:
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@MainePieCo
@ChoomiNaturals
@EdibleMaine
@MaineCrisp
@GneissSpice
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Now, a year later, I have worked with all of them on the list- and it’s been truly amazing. Some days it feels surreal to be working with such wonderful people who have also built their brands from the ground up. It’s surreal to have people value my work, my opinion, and my perspective. Pictured here is my second published piece for @EdibleMaine
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If you are visualizing something for yourself please know that it CAN happen if you make it happen. Sometimes the things we dream of feel so close yet so far. We wonder how can we get from here to there? So much of what holds us back from the life we envision is fear- but what does it look like to face those fears? Scary, uncomfortable, awkward? YES. It is. I’ve done it. But what about after that? After the discomfort fades away? You might be left with opportunity, potential, and a newly forged path forward.
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#dreambig #maine #foodphotography #toast #lox #foodie #maineeats #eatmaine #seafood #newengland #ediblemagazine #foodstyling #foodphotographer #gutsoverfear #nofear #liveyourdreams
Fresh spring rolls are quickly becoming my happy p Fresh spring rolls are quickly becoming my happy place ✨😍 

#springroll #springrolls #freshspringrolls #eatyourveggies #eattherainbow #veggielover #healthyrecipes #cleaneating #slowliving #foodie #f52grams #f52community #delicious #eatcaptureshare #foodstagram #fresh
This weekend I hope you can: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This weekend I hope you can:
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-Embrace rest
-Practice yoga
-Catch up on some reading
-Bake a cake
-Call a loved one
-Get outside

I will be attempting all of the above.
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Happy weekend 💕
Favorite breakfast, basically. #breakfastideas #m Favorite breakfast, basically.

#breakfastideas #morning #breakfast #foodphotography #foodstyling #ricebowl #foodie #f52community #f52grams #delicious #nomnom #slowliving #foodstylist

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