Herbes de Provence and Ratatouille
One of my favorite late summer meals and herb blends...
“Fragrant pure lavender buds lead the way
to capture warm flavors of sunny France
when blended with herbs, dried in cozy sachet.
Ambrosial spices bubble all day
scenting the air with each dish they enhance.
Fragrant pure lavender buds lead the way.
Sweet basil adds to this piquant buffet;
the mixture defined by each gardener’s plants
when blended with herbs, dried in cozy sachet.
Marjoram enlivens a warm consomme,
which simmers as every odor enchants.
Fragrant pure lavender buds lead the way.
Gently sprinkled in perfumed cassoulet,
thyme bares its soul in a redolent dance
when blended with herbs, dried in cozy sachet.
Accompanied by a robust beaujolais,
the evening holds promises of romance.
Fragrant pure lavender buds lead the way
when blended with herbs, dried in cozy sachet.”
Author Unknown
Herbes de Provence are not unknown to most of you at this point, but they still seem like a wonderful thing to write about at this time of the year while our gardens are still so lush. Once you make some, you’ll never want to be without it, especially in February, when you have some of this wonderful blend to brighten up a simple stew on a cold day. After all, sunshine , or even the mere suggestion of sunshine in Midwinter is possibly one of the most healing tonics of all.
My first introduction to the classic French blend of Herbes de Provence was in the early seventies, when my long haired and lovely hippie sister came home from grad school having learned to make a very sophisticated country French vegetable dish known as ratatouille. I remember that day so well, she was standing over my mother’s stove and she looked like a goddess surrounded by piles of beautifully diced vegetables, an exotic looking bottle of extra virgin olive oil, a wooden spoon, sea salt and pepper grinders and a ceramic jar that contained the most magical combination of herbs that I’d ever smelled to that point. I remember her recipe down to the last sprinkle of Maldon salt, and it’s actually the best one I've ever made. Many make ratatouille by throwing all of the vegetables in a pot and cooking them together slowly, but my sisters ratatouille was different, because she added the vegetables one at a time, cooing over them a bit like a love spell.
In this way she produced layers of flavor that cannot be accomplished by just throwing everything together and letting it quickly cook. It was one of those classic moments between sisters, where I just watched, listened and absorbed what she was teaching me. It took hours which I measured in in tastes and laughter. It was the perfect way to pass on such a treasured recipe.
I love to make ratatouille in the wintertime, because it turns my kitchen into the sunniest place in the house. The fragrance is remarkable and the flavor sublime. Layered into a casserole and topped with grated gruyere and buttered bread crumbs, once you’ve given this a quick turn under the broiler it will produce a perfect supper when paired with a salad dressed simply with a mustardy vinaigrette. Stir in some cooked white beans for a vegetarian twist. A few tablespoons of this on top of a grilled chicken breast or a piece of fresh tuna will transport you instantly to the sunny south of France.
In a moment I’ll walk you through the recipe. I still love it and it’s one of those perfect dishes for a day when you’ve got a little extra time and a lot of lovely white Bordeaux. This is a two glass dish…one to sip while you’re cooking and one to sip while you’re eating. Slow cooking a ratatouille is a lovely way to spend an afternoon! The secret is the slow cooking over the low flame and of course the lovely aromatics.
It’s so much fun to make your own Herbes de Provence ( from this point on known as HDP!) but fortunately you can buy it at many different places and still even find it in that fancy little French ceramic pot . Truthfully though? Why buy it when it’s so easy and so much fun to make!
As we know it, the classic HDP blend ( as coined by Julia Child in her 1961 classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking!) is a mixture of dried Savory, Thyme, Rosemary, Marjoram, and Lavender flowers, although I am told that there are many different variations depending upon who has given you the recipe! I love to dry my chive blossoms and add these to the blend along with some dried basil, that’s my personal touch. I always have these herbs growing fresh in my gardens so I play with the combinations, sometimes adding some dill or a bit of fennel or tarragon, according to what I am cooking. Usually, I start with a ¼ teaspoonful of each and then add a little more of whatever I think is needed. Traditionally I love to use this blend to flavor grilled fish or lamb but I find that it’s at its most delicious when blended into butter with a bit of garlic to be tucked under the skin of a roasting chicken. I often use these herbs in stews and soups and find them to be the perfect blend of seasonings to be whisked into a bit of homemade mayonnaise for a tuna, salmon, shrimp or chicken salad.
I also love to scent my soups with a bouquet garni or soup wreath made from these fresh herbs. For the Bouquet Garni just take the long stalks and tie them together with some kitchen twine. To make your own soup wreaths, all you will need is some kitchen twine and branches and stems of the herbs that you want to use. Rosemary makes the best base and chives are garlic chives are a wonderful wrap. Just wind everything together and wrap tightly with the thread. It will dry and be ready to use in a week or two. Remember that herbal flavors do concentrate so be mindful of the sages and oreganos... They can get very strong! To use, just throw one into simmering pot of soup or stew. When your meal is cooked, just strain out the wreath and toss!
Whichever you use, just place them into the pot while your broth is simmering and remove them when you strain the stock. This is a fabulous way to infuse the fragrance and flavor of these wonderful herbs into the soup without having all of those messy bits floating around. You can also infuse these herbs in olive oil to use to create wonderfully scented dressings or herb drizzles.
But back to my sister’s magical recipe.
A great Ratatouille takes time to make and lots of it! You must begin with a good cast iron pot, a wooden spoon and a linen apron!. You’ll need lots of cubed eggplant, ripe tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, green, red and yellow peppers and green and yellow zucchini, at the very least two cups of each. Make sure to have your first glass of chilled Viognier and a lovely runny piece of soft French cheese and a toasted baguette waiting for you. After all, making this is all about the ritual of slow cooking a wonderful traditional dish, so slow down, relax and enjoy the afternoon.
To put you in the mood…..
Liberally lace your pot with about 4 tablespoons of olive oil and slowly bring up the heat. Add about 10 cloves of minced garlic and stir gently, allowing the garlic to softly infuse the oil but not burn. Add two cups of organic chicken or vegetable broth (not traditional but good!). Then add the onions, sip the wine and simmer this gently for about 10 minutes. Then add the eggplant, the juice of one fresh lemon and a bit of sea salt. Allow the eggplant to cook until translucent (about 15 minutes) enjoy another sip and then add the tomatoes which you will have pressed quite a lot of the juice out of. (this you can accomplish easily by massaging them by hand once you’ve cut them up.)
Stir gently and allow everything to just simmer for about 10 more minutes and then add the mushrooms, stir and continue simmering for another 5 minutes while enjoying another sip of wine and a bite of cheese!
Add the peppers and follow the same instructions as before and then the zucchini goes in last. You can add more olive oil whenever you think that it’s needed and by now you’ll be noticing that it has begun to create a lovely vegetable stew. At this point, add one cup of Viognier or white Bordeaux, a large knob of grass fed butter, 2 more cloves of minced garlic and some more salt and pepper to taste. Take another sip of wine and dunk a bit of the baguette into the stew and enjoy. Cook the Ratatouille gently for about another 10 minutes, stirring continuously.
Then add 3 tablespoons of your favorite HDP blend and let the ratatouille slowly simmer gently for about an hour or until the wine has evaporated and what’s left is just velvety and luscious. You’ll need to stay in the kitchen, watching and stirring…the cooking times are never quite the same! Add a little more butter if necessary and then take about 3 handfuls of freshly torn sweet basil leaves and stir them in. Let the ratatouille just sit peacefully for a few moments. Enjoy another sip of your wine and take a piece of the baguette, spread it with your favorite soft French cheese and about 2 tablespoons of the ratatouille. Breathe deeply, imagine that you're sitting in the warm southern French sunshine…Chew hungrily… swallow and sip, repeat. Do you really need anything more?
Do any of you have a recipe for HDP or Ratatouille that is personal to you? I’d love to enjoy it, so please feel free to share in the comments!
Thymeless Quotes:
“If my fellow Americans could adopt even a fraction of the French attitude about food and life (don't worry, you don't have to sign on to the politics, too), managing weight would cease to be a terror, an obsession, and reveal its true nature as part of the art of living.”
— Mireille Guiliano - Author of French Women don’t get Fat
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