All About Ragouts

If you’re an avid gardener, chances are right about now you have a bumper crop of tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, eggplant and summer squash. If not a gardener, perhaps you are a farm stand or farmers’ market junkie, stopping several times a week to hand pick the fruits of someone else’s labor and add them to your dinner table. Whoever you are, you know the days are numbered.

We are all clamoring to enjoy the last of these native vegetables before their delicious, homegrown taste is but a mere memory.

But what does one do when faced with an abundance of fresh vegetables all at once and knowing full well that they won’t last forever? 

You can certainly share with your neighbors. There is nothing finer than returning home from work to find a basket of freshly picked veggies perched on your porch. (We sure hope OUR neighbors are reading this.)

Pickling, canning or preserving are all options, but only if you’re of the Martha Stewart variety with specific days of this calendar’s month earmarked for just this very task. If you’re like most of us — with jobs, families, houses, carpools and juggling schedules — why not try something more attainable? Try a ragout!

The French word ragout translates to a main dish stew or gravy. The basic method of preparation involves slow cooking over a low heat, and may be prepared with or without meat. All types of vegetables can be incorporated, thus it is a perfect way to enjoy the last of summer’s bounty. Here is one such recipe, utilizing zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes. Serve as a main dish, side, or simply with chunks of crusty bread, and savor the fleeting flavors of summer.

Summer’s Bounty Ragout

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups diced yellow onion

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

2 large zucchini, diced large

1 large eggplant, peeled, diced large

1 cup white wine

2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced

Freshly grated Romano pecorino cheese

In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced onion and salt and cook, stirring, until onions soften.

Stir in the paprika, oregano and garlic and cook an additional minute, stirring occasionally.

Add the diced eggplant and zucchini. Stir to coat all sides and incorporate into the mixture.

Add the white wine and simmer until the wine is nearly absorbed, about 10 minutes or so.

Add the diced tomatoes, and simmer 10 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft and tender.

Remove from heat and grate the cheese over the ragout while still warm.

Enjoy!