Ingredients
- 2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1⁄4-inch slices
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced thinly into coins
- 1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 large heirloom tomato, seeded and diced
- 1⁄4 cup minced fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1⁄2 cup, sliced into thin strips, sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup pine nuts, cooked or sprouted lentils, or chickpeas
Directions
- Combine all the ingredients except for the pine nuts in a large mixing bowl. Adjust the seasonings to taste (you can add more herbs if you like, or more lemon for a more tart taste).
- Let all the ingredients marinate for a few hours, so that the flavors can marry. If you're serving it cool, simply stir in the pine nuts or legumes and plate. If you're heating it, use one of the options below, and stir in the pine nuts or legumes right before serving.Oven option: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the vegetables in a small casserole dish and cook for 15 minutes. Give the vegetables a stir, and cook for another 10 minutes, or until they're soft throughout.Dehydrator option: Set your dehydrator to 140 degrees. Spread the vegetables onto two Teflex-lined dehydrator sheets, and dehydrate for an hour before serving them warm.Storage tip: If you keep the dish raw, it will last overnight in the fridge. If you cook or dehydrate it, it will last for up to 3 days.
More from Choosing Raw
• Banana Almond Coconut Raw-nola Recipe• Gluten-Free Carrot Falafel with Tangy Tahini Sauce
Reprinted with permission from Choosing Raw: Making Raw Foods Part of the Way You Eat by Gena Hamshaw and published by Da Capo Lifelong Press, 2014. You can purchase this book from the Mother Earth Living store: Choosing Raw.
Choosing Raw by Gena Hamshaw (Da Capo Press, 2014) is bursting with delicious and healthful recipes, nourishing nutrition advice, and tons of tips to incorporate raw foods into your daily meals. The following ratatouille recipe breaks from tradition and lessens your active cooking time by marinating the ingredients in the refrigerator rather than an oven.
You can purchase this book from the Mother Earth Living store: Choosing Raw.
Though the word “ratatouille” may conjure up images of casserole dishes, roasting fragrantly in the oven, this raw spin on the French classic is surprisingly delicious. I love it without any heating at all, but I offer up a dehydrator option for gentle heating, and an oven option if you’re craving a more traditional presentation. Raw jicama or cauliflower rice make wonderful accompaniments, as does a bed of warm quinoa.
I recommend making this dish when tomatoes and zucchini are at the peak of their season—it will make the dish so much fresher and more flavorful. I like to use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, but the dried ones will be fine too, so long as you soak them in warm water for 20 minutes prior to using. Pine nuts add a delightful crunch, but, if you’re craving a heartier meal, you can stir in cooked or sprouted lentils or chickpeas.