A rugged take on the classic French Provençal stew, these ratatouille skewers are pretty to look at and fun to make. The key to grilling all the vegetables evenly—and making them look good—is ensuring they’re more or less the same girth. If you can’t find suitable summer squash, try golden zucchini, which tends to be more uniform in shape.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 2 pounds; see Note)
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch slices (about 1½ pounds)
- 3 medium yellow summer squash, cut into ½-inch slices (about 1½ pounds)
- 2 medium Chinese eggplant, cut into ½-inch slices (about 1 pound; see Note)
- Olive oil spray
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Preparation
In Camp
1. To make the sauce, heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Swirl in the oil, then add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion starts to turn translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, butter, Italian seasoning and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the skewers are ready.
2. Prepare a grill for medium-high heat.
3. To make the skewers, thread the zucchini, squash and eggplant onto 4 skewers, alternating the colors. Lightly spray the vegetables with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the skewers for about 20 minutes, turning frequently so all sides cook evenly. Pour the tomato sauce over the vegetables before serving.
About this recipe
For the Sauce
NOTE: Don’t want to deal with fresh tomatoes at camp? Substitute a 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes for the fresh.
For the Skewers
NOTE: Chinese eggplant is a thin-skinned, long and slender version of the vegetable, found in most Asian and specialty markets. If you aren’t able to source it, substitute Japanese eggplant or slice a conventional eggplant to size.
Excerpted from The New Camp Cookbook by Linda Ly. Copyright © 2017 Voyageur Press. Photography copyright © 2017 Linda Ly. Published by Voyageur Press, an imprint of The Quarto Group. Reproduced by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved.
