From the Farmer's Market: Ratatouille Tart

A tart inspired by one of my favorite Pixar movies, Ratatouille. One of the reasons I love the movie is because of the gorgeous visuals of Paris and the highlight of the movie, at least for me, the ratatouille scene. The attention and care put into layering each vegetable slice into the baking dish was visually stunning and even better was the perfectly stacked bite that the critic tasted. I’m starting to drool so I’ll get on with the post.

In my previous blog entry, I mentioned a recent farmer’s market trip where I found generous bunches of basil. I also picked up some really colorful squash because it reminded me of Ratatouille. I decided to make a tart.

Using a mandolin would help slice the squash as evenly as possible. I managed with a small knife but it just takes a bit more time. I cut them about 1/4″ thick. I didn’t want them too thin or else they’d shrink down too much during baking.

The majority of my recipe contains ingredients from the farmer’s market. Above is a cornmeal crust from Vicolo Pizza, a San Francisco based pizza company, that creates ready-to-bake versions of their pizzas and crusts. I got the crust at their booth at the SF Ferry Building Farmer’s Market. You can also buy Vicolo items at Whole Foods.

Just a side note, if you’re trying to decide which pizza to try, I highly recommend Roasted Mushroom.

The only thing not from the market would be the cheese. On top of the crust is a combination of shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan. Then I started layering the squash.

Looks like Ratatouille to me but even better because its pizza. Before baking, I seasoned with freshly ground pepper, kosher salt, a few drizzles of balsamic vinegar, and more grated Parmesan.

Baked for 15 minutes. A great summer dish. You could do it on the grill too but I just found it easier to bake instead of grilling all the squash one by one.