A Ratatouille Tart and a Fresh Corn Salad with a Twist

When I was checking out Lauren’s blog of  I’ll Eat You, this past Thursday for CEimB, she had posted the most wonderful adaptation of an Ellie Krieger recipe.  Lauren’s post was called “Cornmeal-Crusted Ratatouille and Goat Cheese Tart.  By the way her photo’s looked, I had to make this recipe.  The following is MY adaptation of Lauren’s recipe. I haven’t checked out the E.K. version yet.

A Ratatouille Tart in a Blue Corn Crust

• 2/3 cup Bob’s Red Mill Blue cornmeal
• 1/3 cup All Purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 TBS SmartBalance (butter substitute)
• 1/2 TBS Italian Seasoning
• 2 TBS EVOO
• 2 TBS Soy milk

Mix the above as you would pastry to line a 9″ pie plate.  It will be a crumb that holds together so you can press it in and around the pie plate.  Bake in a 350 F oven for 10 minutes.  You may pre bake this and use when ready to add the following filling.

• Approx. 2 – 3 TBS olive oil to coat the bottom of 2 foil lined baking pans
• 3 Green onions, chopped
• 1 small eggplant, peeled and sliced into thin rounds (about 1/8″)
• 1 medium zucchini, washed and sliced into 1/8″ rounds
• 2 vine ripe tomatoes, sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 oz soft goat cheese
• Asiago cheese to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line the pans with foil and coat with olive oil.  Place the chopped green onions on the bottom of each pan and lay the eggplant rounds on top of the onions in one pan and the zucchini and tomato on top of the onions in the other.  Drizzle with olive oil on top. Salt and Pepper and roast for 20 minutes. Let cool.

Assembly:  Spread the goat cheese on the bottom of the tart /or dot it – over the blue corn meal crust.  Arrange the veggies any way you wish. I put a layer of eggplant, then zucchini, then 1/2 the tomatoes, and repeated.  Top with asiago cheese and bake for 30 minutes.

Fresh Corn Salad with a Twist

This recipe was my adaptation of one prepared by Tyler Florence on How to Boil Water.  It was the hit of the night. So fresh tasting. 

• Dressing: Put into the microwave for 1 minute 1 minced clove of garlic with a pinch of salt.
• Blend the microwaved garlic with the juice of 1 large lime + 1 TBS lime juice + 1/4 tsp chili powder + 1/4 cup EVOO. Set aside.
• The Salad:  In a saucepan, heat 1 TBS olive oil from the dressing above. 
• 2 ears of fresh corn: cut the corn off the cob and add to the saucepan.
• 1 Red bell pepper, chopped: add to the corn
• 2 green onions, chopped: add to the corn mix.
• Heat the mixture about 10 minutes on medium heat, until all is cooked
• Add 1 15 oz can of black beans just to heat.
• Slice 8 cherry tomatoes.
• Slice around one avocado. Pull apart, remove pit and using a knife, slice vertical and horizontal to make cubes. Scoop out with a spoon.
• 1/2 tsp cilantro
• In a bowl, add the cooked corn-bean mix. Top with the tomato, avocado and cilantro. Add dressing and enjoy.

We barbecued some South Carolina shrimp to go with the other two menu items. 

What a terrific meal for a Sunday evening.

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