Rebellious Ratatouille

Every week we take a peek inside the lunches of the luckiest kids in Brooklyn. Read on, suppress your jealousy, and get a little brown bag inspiration. 

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My favorite lunches are when I can cobble together a few leftovers in a way that feels right and fresh and like it was meant to be. This weekend, I had the last of summer’s bounty — zucchini, eggplant, corn, and peppers — jammed in my fridge, and they needed a way out. This is why ratatouille was invented. 

I’m a rebellious ratatouille cook because I can never follow a recipe. My approach is to find the best way to extract the most moisture from each vegetable and to get it to relax without turning to total mush. With the eggplant, I sliced and salted it, then roasted and chopped it. For the peppers, I cut them into large chunks and sauteed them in a deep pot over high heat in lots of olive oil and garlic. I blanched the corn and cut it from its cobs (yes, corn is untraditional but it was in the fridge and needed a home). And with the zucchini, I grated it and salted it, then squeezed it dry and stirred it into the hot ratatouille. I rarely cook the ingredients in one pot; rather, I prepare them separately and fold them together at the end.

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On top of the leftover ratatouille was this leftover Spanish Tortilla, a recipe that, as you’ll see from the comments, people feel very passionate about. 

And for dessert, a lemon tart from one of my books — a dinner party leftover. 

What’s in your lunch today? See some of the twins’ past lunches.