Carla Hall's Favorite Summertime Meal Is A French Classic

With the summer season comes warm weather, beach days, and delicious food. But what constitutes the latter? Many opt for long nights spent becoming a grill master — cooking hot dogs and burgers, and serving them with potato chips and cold salads. Others chose to take advantage of all the available seasonal produce and score hidden gems at the farmers market, from vibrant berries to juicy tomatoes. "Top Chef" alum, television host, and chef Carla Hall (who is also an expert at picking out the best oranges) finds herself inspired by the delicious fruits and vegetables for sale when considering her favorite summertime meal. In an interview with Yurview, Hall said her "go-to dish" is ratatouille, a French classic. "You see tomatoes in the market. You see squash. You see eggplant," the chef elaborated. "And I know it's not southern, but it's Southern in France somewhere. And I love it." 

Ratatouille originated in the southeast Provence region of France. It started as a meal favored by farmers but found its way onto the restaurant scene in the 20th century. The dish, as we know it, consists of eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes. The fresh ingredients are cut and assembled before being lightly roasted. The produce used in the recipe are in season during the summer and early fall, with eggplants being in their prime from July to October and tomatoes from May to October. So, when the weather starts heating up, it is time to start thinking about ratatouille. 

Now that you know some of the history and the basic ingredients of ratatouille, it is time to talk about preparing it. The dish is assembled in a variety of different ways, and it can be served as the main entree or with a smattering of other foods. Carla Hall has a few different ways to serve ratatouille, one of which involves turning the hearty stew into a grilled salad by delicately layering both cooked and raw ingredients, then serving them with a tomato vinaigrette. She has also prepared the classic dish topped with fried sardines. Hall's takes on ratatouille are rather inventive, but there are two common ways to present the French dish as well. 

Taking the dish back to its working-class roots, the ingredients can be chopped into cubes and cooked together to resemble a traditional stew. Some prefer to roast the vegetables in the oven before combining them and the tomato base in a pot on the stove. Another way to make ratatouille is to thinly slice the ingredients, layer them in a shallow pan, and bake until cooked through. This method is common in restaurants as it results in a picture-worthy presentation. From here, the dish is served hot or at room temperature. It can be topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and served with bread to mop up the juices. It makes for a delicious, healthy side for steaks, chicken, or a tofu main course.