Wordless Wednesday: From Vegetables to Ratatouille

Garden Green Bean Medley

One of my favorite vegetables is green beans. They are so easy to grow and so easy to preserve after harvesting bummer crops. Simply wash, dry thoroughly, pack into Ziploc vacuum bags and freeze.  When you get around to using them, they'll taste as fresh as the day you picked them from your garden.


But don't pack them all for freezing!  Try this recipe to make a delicious, harvest-inspired Garden Green Bean Medley to enjoy now.  I'm even contemplating this instead of my usual green bean casserole for Christmas.  

Garden Green Bean Medley

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 to 3 inch-long pieces

3 tomatoes, halved and thinly sliced

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 large bell pepper, halved and cut into thin strips - choose two different colors from green, yellow, red or orange

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 can sliced ripe olives

1 palm-full dried basil (the way Rachel Ray measures her herbs and spices)

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/3 cup slivered sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Mix together the beans, tomatoes, onion, peppers, garlic, olives, basil, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons each of the balsamic vinegar and olive oil into a 4 quart slow cooker.   Sprinkle the sun-dried tomatoes on top.

2. Cover and cook on LOW about 3 hours, just until the vegetables are crisp-tender.

3. Remove the vegetables from the crock and place into a serving bowl, leaving the cooking liquid behind. Dress with the remaining 1 tablespoon each of balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Based on the recipe Green Beans, Peppers, And Tomatoes With Balsamic Vinegar And Sun Dried Tomatoes in the cookbook The Best Slow Cooker Cookbook Ever by Natalie Haughton. Buy The Best Slow Cooker Cookbook Ever at Barnes&Noble.com.

Tomato Week: Ratatouille

Ratatouille: a crock pot full of garden goodness

You got to love the French for making a humble vegetable stew sound and taste delicious.  This recipe is a great way to serve and preserve bumper crops of tomatoes, zucchini and bell pepper. I made this using the tomatoes and bell peppers growing my my garden.  This year, my zucchini didn't seem to thrive so I needed to use store-bought ones instead.

I like adding sliced green olives stuffed with pimientos at the end for an extra special and flavorful accent.


I love eating this hot or cold.  Just last night I enjoyed it with a crusty French roll and sardines on the side.  You could also top it with Parmesan or goat cheese or use it as a hearty sauce for meat, fish or poultry.  It even works well over a cheese omelet. 

This recipe freezes beautifully, so you can enjoy this summer time treat on a cold and blustery winter day.

Ratatouille

from The Best Slow Cooker Cookbook Ever

1 large eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes (I leave the skin on for color and texture)
coarse salt
2 medium onions, chopped
3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch squares
1 large red bell pepper or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch squares
3 medium zucchini, sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons dried basil
2 garlic cloves, crushed through a press
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 5 1/2 ounce can pitted ripe olives, drained and chopped coarsely


Place the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with coarse salt.  Let drain in the sink 30 minutes to 1 hour. Press out excess moisture, then rinse with cool water and pat dry with paper towels.


Place the eggplant in crock pot. Add the onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, olive oil, basil, garlic, sea salt and pepper. Mix well.


Cover and cook on HIGH about 3 hours or until the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape.


Stir in the tomato paste and olives.


Serve hot, room temperature or chilled.  Refrigerate leftovers or freeze to enjoy later.

Buy The Best Slow Cooker Cookbook Ever at Barnes&Noble.com.