Buffalo Rising Online

Sep 8th 2007, 10:14am By Laila Bondi

For the past month or so, I have been diligently working my way through my garden’s harvest. The first tomato of the season, sliced paper-thin on a bagel, was magical. I was equally enthralled when I grilled some of my zucchini and dressed it lightly with olive oil, vinegar and mint. But this has grown somewhat tedious.

I have made zucchini bread, zucchini-tomato quiche, zucchini-tomato quesadillas, green bean pate, caramelized green beans, zucchini-tomato pasta, baba ganouj, caponatina and so on and so on. I have also oven-dried several pounds of tomatoes. I have given my friends and co-workers extra produce, even those who I know have their own overflowing gardens.

After several weeks of eating meals composed of the same ingredients, I was yearning for something a little different. I pulled out my go-to cookbook for fresh ideas. Sheila Lukins' All Around the World Cookbook has been one of my favorite cookbooks since its publication in 1994. To develop the book, the author visited 33 countries--on a food odyssey of sorts--and then created her own interpretations of international favorites such as coq au vin, pad Thai and Moroccan tagine. Lukins is also co-author of The Silver Palate Cookbook, currently available at Talking Leaves on Elmwood. I found this recipe for Thai Coconut Ratatouille in the All Around the World Cookbook, and was finally rewarded with a much-needed respite from my very tired summer menu. Enjoy!

Thai Coconut Ratatouille


12oz eggplant, 1/2" cubes ∙ 2 tsp salt ∙ 1 1/2 cups chicken stock ∙ 4oz green beans, trimmed and sliced diagonally ∙ 8oz green cabbage, 1/2" strips ∙ 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped ∙ 2 tbsp ginger, minced ∙ 2 tbsp garlic, minced ∙ 1 tbsp lemongrass, thinly sliced ∙ 1 tbsp cilantro stems, minced ∙ 1 cup tomatoes, coarsely chopped ∙ 2 cups banana, chopped ∙ 1 cup coconut milk ∙ 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped ∙ prepared rice

Sprinkle eggplant with salt and let stand for 15 minutes, pat dry.
Heat stock, add eggplant, cook 5 minutes. Add green beans, cabbage, onion, ginger, garlic, lemongrass and cilantro stems. Cook, covered, over medium heat for 10minutes.
Stir in banana, tomatoes and coconut milk, simmer uncovered ten minutes longer. Remove from heat and add cilantro leaves. Serve with rice.

Editor’s Note:

Eggplant and tomatoes are in season here in WNY for just a few more weeks, and because of that, they’re inexpensive and especially flavorful. Now’s the ideal time to pick some up at the local market, take them home and experiment, and Laila’s recipe is a perfect excuse to do so.