Ratatouille Bread Salad

Summer is slowly fading away. I wanted to take advantage of the last produce of the season by making ratatouille bread salad. It is perfect for those days in between summer and fall. You could add some arugula to the bread salad, and drizzle it with a little balsamic vinegar for a bit of tang. I serve the bread salad with mollet eggs. Mollet eggs are in between a soft boiled egg and a hard boiled egg. The yolk is set, but remains creamy. But cook the eggs to your preference: soft, mollet, or hard. A fried or poached egg with a runny yolk would also work well here.

This ratatouille recipe makes about 6 cups. The bread salad only needs 2 cups, but make the whole recipe and use the leftover ratatouille as a filling for panini sandwiches with melted provolone, serve it on top of bruschetta, serve it with grilled chicken or fish, or toss with pasta. Ratatouille is very versatile, it goes well with almost everything.

What do you like to cook/bake when summer is coming to an end?

Ratatouille Bread Salad
(Serves 4)
2 cups ratatouille
4 cups croutons
4 mollet eggs, cut in half
Olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste
1. In a large bowl, place the croutons and ratatouille and mix well. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. Divide among 4 plates, and place 2 egg halves on top. Sprinkle with salt pepper.
(If you like, add some arugula or baby spinach and drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar)

Ratatouille
(Makes about 6 cups)
• 2 medium eggplants, sliced into 1 inch half moons slices
• 1 large zucchini, sliced into 1 inch half moon slices
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lbs roma tomatoes, cut in half, seeds removed and chopped (about 6 medium)
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ cup basil, sliced into strips
• Olive oil
1. Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the eggplant slices on the cookie sheet, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss well to combine. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until brown.
2. In a large skillet, place 1 tablespoon olive oil and the zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook until browned on both sides. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, add the onion, red bell pepper, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add in the tomatoes and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and cook for another 5 minutes. Add in the eggplant and zucchini, and cook for 10 minutes, or until all vegetables are soft. Add in the basil, and cook another 5 minutes. Add extra olive oil to your liking. Taste for seasonings and adjust.

Croutons
• Half of a French baguette, cut into 1 inch cubes. You should have about 4 cups
• 1 to 2 tablespoon olive oil
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper
1. Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Line a cookie sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. In a large bowl, place the bread cubes, olive oil, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
2. Place bread cubes on the cookie sheet, and bake for 10 minutes, turning the bread halfway through so that it browns and toasts evenly on both sides. Remove from oven and leave on cookie sheet until ready to use.

Mollet Eggs
4 eggs, at room temperature
1. Place eggs in a medium sauce pan and cover with cold water by 2 inches.
2. Bring to a boil, immediately turn down to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes. Remove eggs and place them in an ice bath for 10 minutes. Peel under running cold water.