Julia Child's Ratatouille

I, dear readers, like many other home cooks, completely idolize Julia Child. I mean, what American cook wouldn't want to be her?! Learning to cook in France, bringing a new cuisine to home cooks in America, the whole shebang - she's pretty much just the best.

Not surprisingly, I, like many other food bloggers, went to see Julie & Julia, the recent film about a blogger who worked her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking - all in one year. In fact, every time the trailer for this film would come on the television, my cute hubby would say, "Wow, that is so you. We've got to see that!"

Well, the movie was quite nice - even the hubs enjoyed it. So when we ended up with a bunch of random veggies in the fridge (thanks to our wonderful CSA farm), I thought it was a great idea to use them up by making a classic French-Provençal dish: ratatouille. And of course, whose recipe would I use but Julia's!?

Well, I have to admit that Julia was right when she said that ratatouille "is not one of the quickest dishes to make." Although a bit time-intensive, the techniques are not difficult, and the results completely justify the effort. It's hard to imagine a dish that is this simple in its seasonings and ingredients, and yet this rich in its layers and layers of flavor.

Without further ado, let me give you the recipe, in the words of Julia Child herself. . .

Julia Child's Ratatouille
from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

1 pound eggplant
1 pound zucchini
A 3-quart, porcelain or stainless-steel mixing bowl
1 teaspoon salt

A 10- to 12-inch enameled skillet
4 tablespoons olive oil, more if needed

1/2 pound (about 1 1/2 cups) thinly sliced yellow onions
2 (about 1 cup) sliced green bell peppers
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, if necessary
2 cloves mashed garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound firm, ripe, red tomatoes, peeled, seeded and juiced (makes 1 1/2 cups pulp)
Salt and pepper

A 2 1/2 quart fireproof casserole about 2 1/2 inches deep
3 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt and pepper

Peel the eggplant and cut into lengthwise slices 3/8 inch thick, about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide. I actually just sliced it in half lengthwise and then cut it into half-moons.

Scrub the zucchini, slice off the two ends and cut the zucchini into slices about the same size as the eggplant slices. I cut mine into medallions because we had a really long, skinny one!

Place the vegetables in a bowl and toss with the salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain. Dry each slice in a towel.

One layer at a time, saute the eggplant and then the zucchini in hot olive oil in the skillet for about a minute on each side to brown very lightly. Remove to a side dish. I found it helpful to add a bit more olive oil with each batch to get them nice and golden brown.

In the same skillet, cook the onions and peppers slowly in olive oil for about 10 minutes, or until tender but not browned. Stir in the garlic and season to taste.

Slice the tomato pulp into 3/8-inch strips. Lay them over the onions and peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes have begun to render their juice. Uncover, baste the tomatoes with the juices, raise heat and boil for several minutes, until juice has almost entirely evaporated. I tipped the skillet and used a spoon instead of a baster, and it worked very well.

Place a third of the tomato mixture in the bottom of the casserole and sprinkle over it 1 tablespoon of the parsley. Arrange half of the eggplant and zucchini on top, then half the remaining tomatoes and parsley. Put in the rest of the eggplant and zucchini and finish with the remaining tomatoes and parsley. I went with one of my trusty Le Creuset pieces.

Cover the casserole and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover, tip casserole and baste with the rendered juices. Correct seasoning, if necessary. Raise heat slightly and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes more, basting several times, until juices have evaporated leaving a spoonful or two of flavored olive oil. Be careful of your heat; do not let the vegetables scorch in the bottom of the casserole.

Set aside uncovered. Reheat slowly at serving time or serve cold. Yields 6-8 servings.

Easy Zucchini Pie

Don't know what to do with all of the zucchinis that you've harvested from your garden this summer? Here is a great (and easy!) recipe that even the kids will love.

Easy Zucchini Pie

2 cups of diced or shredded zucchini
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
1 cup Bisquick
3 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup more grated Mozzarella cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 and grease a deep pie dish.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, except for the second 1/2 cup of Mozzarella. Dump into the prepared pie dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the filling is set and the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Vidalia Victuals Finalist #10: Vidalia Onion and Tomato Pie

Vidalia Onion and Tomato Pie
Submitted by Tasha of Life as I know it . . . is just beginning

1 prepared pie crust
One large Vidalia onion, halved and thinly sliced
One large tomato, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 palm full herbes de provence
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Gently place prepared pie crust in a deep dish pie plate.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Carefully transfer to the pie dish.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.

Vote using the poll in the right-hand column. Thanks!

Vidalia Victuals Finalist #9: Vidalia Onion Casserole

Vidalia Onion Casserole
submitted by Mrs. G of The Givens Chronicles

5 large Vidalia onions, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
12 Ritz crackers

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Apply cooking spray to a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, and cook, stirring until tender - about 7-10 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream and parmesan cheese. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and crumble the Ritz crackers on top.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes until top is browned and sauce is bubbly. Serve immediately.

Vote using the poll in the right-hand column. Thanks!

Vidalia Victuals Finalist #8: Caramelized Vidalia Onion Dip

Vidalia Onion Dip
submitted by Kathy W.

1/2 cup butter or margarine
4 large Vidalia onions - peeled, halved and sliced
16 ounces of shredded swiss cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add the shredded cheese and toss until it melts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a small crock pot or a bowl and serve with crackers, pretzels, or veggies.

Vote using the poll in the right-hand column. Thanks!

Vidalia Victuals Finalist #7: Vidalia Onion and Mushroom Pie

Vidalia Onion and Mushroom Pie
submitted by Sue from The per Sue of Happiness

3 tablespoons butter
3 Vidalia onions, one diced and two quartered
1 lb. small mushrooms
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons sherry
1 cup heavy cream
2 egg yolks, beaten (whites reserved)
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 sheet frozen puff pastry

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Grease a pie dish and set aside.

In a large skillet over low heat, melt the butter and cook all the onions, occasionally shaking the pan. Then add the mushrooms, turning them frequently. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 2 more minutes. Finally, drain the onions and mushrooms or use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a deep pie dish.

Next, raise the heat to medium on the skillet and add the sherry. Mix contents well and then pour over onions and mushrooms.

In a small bowl, mix the cream, egg yolks, nutmeg, and paprika. Add salt to taste and pour the mixture into the pie dish over the veggies. Gently roll the puff pastry over the pie dish. Decorate the edges and pinch them to the pie dish. Use a knife to cut a slit in the center of the dough. Brush with reserved egg white.

Vote using the poll in the right-hand column. Thanks!

Vidalia Victuals Finalist #6: Caramelized Vidalia Onion and Goat Cheese Grits

Caramelized Vidalia Onion and Goat Cheese Grits
submitted by Courtney of Cook Like a Champion

2 tablespoons butter
1 large Vidalia onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
3 cups water (or amount specified by grits package directions)
1 cup quick-cooking grits (not instant)
2 ounces fresh goat cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add butter and swirl to coat. Add onions. Cover and allow the onions to cook for about 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions reach a deep, golden brown color. This should take about 25 minutes, depending on how thin you slice your onion.

Remove the onion and add water to the skillet, scraping up any brown bits that may have formed. Bring the water to a full boil and gradually whisk in the grits, stirring constantly to prevent any clumps from forming. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until grits are thickened, no more than 5 minutes, adding extra water if necessary.

Remove the grits from the heat and stir in the caramelized onion. Crumble in goat cheese and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Vote using the poll in the right-hand column. Thanks!

Vidalia Victuals Finalist #5: Vidalia Onion on the Grill

Vidalia Onion on the Grill

submitted by Brandette L

1 large Vidalia onion
1 beef bouillon cube
3 tablespoons butter

Take an onion and score the top in an X shape with a paring knife. Pull open the middle slightly. Stick the beef bouillon cube in the middle, then stuff with the butter. Wrap tightly in foil.

Grill the onion until tender to the touch, about 30 minutes. Serve each onion in a bowl for perfect individual portions.

Vote using the poll in the right-hand column. Thanks!

Vidalia Victuals Finalist #4: Vidalia Onion Soup

Vidalia Onion Soup
Submitted by h2babe of Blissfully Delicious

4 tablespoons of butter
4 large Vidalia onions, sliced
5 cups chicken stock
A pinch of dried thyme
A pinch of dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Mozzarella Cheese
2 tablespoons cognac (optional)
Croutons (optional)

Melt the butter over medium heat in a pot. Add the sliced onions and cook for 30-45 minutes, until soft and golden brown.

Add the chicken stock, and turn the heat to medium high. Bring just to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer.

Add herbs, cognac, pepper, and salt. Cook for 15 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place croutons and one tablespoon parmesan cheese on the bottom of each bowl. Add soup, and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts.

Vote using the poll in the right-hand column. Thanks!

Vidalia Victuals Finalist #3: Vidalia Onion Tart

Vidalia Onion Tart
Submitted by Ashley P.

1 9-inch deep dish pie crust
3 tablespoons butter
1 large Vidalia onion, diced
1/2 cup sour cream
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1 packet dry leek soup mix
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a large, heavy skillet, saute butter and diced onion over medium heat. Cook until lightly caramelized. Place your pie crust in a deep dish pie pan and set aside.

Remove from heat and whisk in the sour cream. Next, slowly whisk in the evaporated milk. Then blend in the dry soup mix until it is completely incorporated. Add the eggs and mix in the shredded cheese until blended.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared pastry. Place the pie on a cookie sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in teh center comes out clean. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

Vote using the poll in the right-hand column. Thanks!

Vidalia Victuals Finalist #2: Beer Battered Vidalia Onion Rings

Beer Battered Vidalia Onion Rings

Submitted by Elizabeth of Reality Distorted

3-4 Vidalia onions sliced and separated into rings
Oil for deep fryer
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups flour
dash of pepper
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon melted shortening
1 cup beer (or milk)

Place the eggs, flour, pepper, baking powder, and shortening into a blender or large bowl. Whip together, gradually adding in beer last. Refrigerate the batter while you heat the oil and slice the onions.

Heat oil in deep fryer to 370-380 degrees. You can test the oil by dropping in a small chunk of white bread. It should turn golden in about a minute.

Dip onion rings into batter, drip excess from rings and then drop them into the hot oil. Deep fry until golden brown. Be sure not to overcrowd the fryer because this cools the oil.

Cool slightly on a rack with paper towels or newspaper to catch any oil drip. Serve warm.

Vote using the poll in the right-hand column. Thanks!

Vidalia Victuals Finalist #1: Vidalia Onions au Gratin

Vidalia Onions au Gratin
submitted by tinysbridetobe of Confessions of a Broke Bride

2 tablespoons of butter
5 medium vidalia onions, quartered and thinly sliced
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup packaged biscuit mix (recommended: Bisquick)
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup flavored bread crumbs

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions should be soft and tender. Remove the onions from the heat and stir in the 2 cups of cheese, the biscuit mix, and the pepper. Transfer this mixture to your prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Top with the bread crumbs.

Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Vote using the poll in the right-hand column. Thanks!

Vidalia Victuals Contest: The Top Ten

I know what you're thinking, dear readers. You're thinking that I've been a bit slack on the blogging lately. Well, all I can tell you is I've been doing double blog duty - just wait until you see all the wonderful Vidalia Onion creations I've been making for the Vidalia Victuals Contest!!

We enjoyed making each of these Top Ten dishes in the Vidalia Victuals Contest. The hubs and I picked the top ten for their diversity, their authenticity, and their Vidalia-ness. :-) Each one was delicious and will definitely be in our yearly rotation. I cannot wait to see which one you, dear readers, vote for as the winner!

Here's how to vote: Look up. No, not literally up, but up the page. And to the right. See the pretty little poll I made? That's where you can vote! So peruse the recipes, try some out this week if you want, and pick your winner by noon on Monday, June 8, 2009 (that's one week from today).

I also want to thank everyone who entered a recipe in my little contest. I appreciate you sharing with me! I'm keeping ALL of them because we still have 1 more bag of onions left!

Good luck to the finalists, and I hope all my dear readers enjoy the Vidalias!

Seven-Layer Mexican Lasagna

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

Yep, when you like food (and cocktails),
then you pretty much make every holiday YOUR holiday.

Well, this was all that was left of dinner by the time I got the camera out.
I guess that means it was good!

Here's the casserole I served to my friends at our casual little get together tonight. I sort of made it up on the fly based on many recipes I had seen floating around.

Seven Layer Mexican Lasagna
8 large flour tortillas
1.25ish lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup enchilada sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
1/2 of a green bell pepper, diced
1/2 of a red bell pepper, diced
1/2 of a yellow bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fajita seasoning
1 package of frozen corn kernels
2 cups shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, monterey jack, whatever you like)
About 12-15 tortilla chips, crushed

Preheat your oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Line the bottom with 4 of the tortillas, cutting the edges if necessary.

Next, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, seasoning it with the cumin. Add the enchilada sauce and heat through. Set aside.

In another large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, peppers, red onion, and garlic. Sprinkle with the fajita seasoning. Cook, stirring until fragrant and softened, about 4 minutes. Add the frozen corn and heat through. Remove from heat.

Next spoon the meat mixture over the tortillas in the baking dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Then place the remaining 4 tortillas on top of the cheese. Spoon the corn and veggie mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the veggies. Finally, top with the crushed tortilla chips.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with cilantro and serve with guacamole and sour cream toppings.

No leftovers - sadness!

Sloppy Joes

We have some vegetables leftover from last week that I wanted to use up and also some ground beef. Since our outdoor grill died an honorable death during our wine tasting party, burgers were out. Next best option? Sloppy Joes of course!

So I called mom, got her recipe. We reminisced about how my brothers and I used to have competitions over who could eat their sloppy joe while letting the least amount slip out of the bun and onto the plate.

Tonight, I amped mom's recipe up with some bell peppers and garlic, and I made it a bit more healthy by lessening the amount of meat to compensate for the extra veggies. Here is the tasty result!

Sloppy Joes
inspired by my mom's recipe

3/4 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons mustard
1 10.5-ounce can condensed chicken gumbo soup
6 hamburger buns

In a heavy skillet, cook and stir ground beef, onion, peppers, and garlic over medium-high heat until the meat is completely browned and the veggies are tender. Stir in the ketchup, mustard, and soup. Turn the heat down to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer for at least 20 minutes but up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Spoon the mixture over the bottom halves of the buns, then top with the remaining halves. Yields six sandwiches.

Vidalia Victuals Contest

I'm so pleased, dear readers, to announce this interactive Vintage Victuals blog event.

Every year, hubby gets about ten 20-lb. bags of Vidalia Onions from his rotary club. They "sell" them as an annual fundraiser. However, we usually end up giving them away to our friends, eating onions morning, noon, and night, and still allowing some of these tasty little guys to go to waste.

But this year, we came up with a way that you, dear readers, can help us out. An on that note, I'm excited to announce the first annual Vidalia Victuals Contest!

Well, the Vidalia Onion crop is officially in! It's a happy time for Georgians and onion-lovers all over the South. If you're looking for these babies in your local grocery store, be sure to look for the "Vidalia" on the sticker, as shown in the pictures here.

Here's how the Vidalia Victuals Contest will work.

1. Submit your all-time favorite vidalia onion recipes to me (either by commenting on this post or by emailing me) by Monday, May 11, 2009 at 11:59 PM. In any cases of duplicate recipes, then I will accept the one that was submitted first. Limit one recipe per person, so pick your very best recipe!
   
2. Then, the hubby and I will select 10 recipes that will advance to the Final Round. These recipes will be selected based on their creativity, their southern-ness, and their ability to showcase the distinctive Vidalia flavor.
3. I will make these 10 recipes (using our oodles of onions), and post a big round-up featuring all ten of them: pics, links to original recipes (if they are found online), all the goodies.
   
4. Then, YOU, dear readers, will vote for the winner of the Vidalia Victuals Contest. The winner will not only receive fame and glory being featured on the VV blog, but will also be the proud owner of a Vidalia Onion Prize Package including fresh Vidalia onions, some of our favorite locally-produced gourmet Vidalia sauces/dressings/relishes from our local country store, and some great goodies straight from the official Vidalia Onion Committee.

Good luck!

Update:
Be sure to also enter your Vidalia Onion recipe in
the Vidalia Onion Committee's
"Sweet Times with Vidalias" Recipe Contest!
Win major cash prizes.
Submit your entries by August 14, 2009.

I know I'm going to be entering this one!!!

Ground Beef Goodness

I found this excellent cookbook at a book fair recently called "The Meats Cookbook" - it's from the early '70s, published by Southern Living and Progressive Farmer. It is so much fun to look through - with instructions on how to cook every cut of meat you could possibly imagine! And the recipes are definitely old-fashioned! I found one that appealed to me, mainly because it combined two rather unusual ingredients: corn chips and hominy. Well, I souped it up a little bit with some extra veggies and some different kinds of cheese, and it turned out to be amazing.

For those fo you not familiar with "hominy," it's part of the corn family - tastes like bit puffy corn kernels. The hominy paired with the Fritos makes this meal extra special - it tastes like super-lean nachos in a bowl! And this dish is a great way to sneak some veggies into your kids' (or husbands'!) meals.

Ground Beef Goodness

1 lb. lean ground beef (recommended: 93% lean)
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 can hominy, drained and rinsed
2 cans chili beans in mild sauce (recommended: Bush's)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese
2-3 handfuls of corn chips (recommended: Frito's)

Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and brown, stirring until it's done all the way through. Remove from the pan to drain on a paper towel.

Return the skillet to the stove and add the onion and peppers. Cook until fragrant and slightly softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add the hominy and the chili beans (and sauce). Continue cooking until heated through.

Finally, add the shredded cheese and the corn chips, stirring gently to incorporate. When cheese is melted and stringy, your dinner is ready. Serve immediately in bowls with big spoons.

How to Make Your Own Chicken Stock

So we all buy those nice convenient little roasted chickens at the grocery store, right? They are a great shortcut for those recipes that call for cooked chicken. Well, why not make your chicken go twice as far by using the carcass to make some chicken stock? Here is a great, basic recipe. I used the recipe from my kitchen bible, The Joy of Cooking, and adapted it for the crock pot to make things extra-easy!

Basic Chicken Stock
adapted from The Joy of Cooking

1 chicken carcass
4 quarts of water
10 pepper corns
6 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons parsley
1 teaspoon thyme
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
3 ribs of celery, roughly chopped

Place the chicken carcass in your crock pot. Pour the water over it and add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours; on high 3-5 hours. I left this batch on low overnight.

Strain well. Refrigerate or freeze in mason jars or ziplock bags until you are ready to use your stock!