A melange of late summer vegetables melds together in this simple and healthful crockpot summer stew.

Slow Cooker Summer Ratatouille Stew

By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime

It’s August already! (Where is the summer going  in such a big hurry?)

Around here,  August is typically very  hot. Although I live in  the city,  I often drive in the  Cincinnati-Dayton corridor, which  is that highway span of  humanity’s sprawl  between  here and there,  dotted with  farms, orchards and growing suburbia. When I first moved up to Ohio from  Florida in  the very early  1990’s, there was so much more of rural landscape to see,   but as the years pass, the corners fill in with more people. and  of course, residential development. So where once nearby I could drive up to the farmer’s wagon on the corner to get his fresh picked corn, I have to drive further out of the beltway to get there.

But the  markets are still  there. The best ones for me are much further afield,  where I might have to drive down a country  lane to get there, wondering how things will  work if another vehicle comes from the other direction. In some  places,   even nearby (if you know where to look) you can even come upon Amish communities. But they stick to themselves. It’s  not like everywhere you go in Ohio  or Pennsylvania  that you are going to see one of their buggies. But there are tell-tale signs, like the towering wind turbines you can see from afar, because they don’t eschew all electricity. They just want to be off-grid.

In years past, there were a number of Amish and  Mennonites that would bring their stuff in  to the weekend flea  markets (there are several  huge ones between here and  Dayton),  but not so much  any more. The ladies who  sold marvelous baked goods are disappearing, although  there are still a few  who sell  their own raised beef and poultry.

And then there are the U-Pick farms. I grew up  picking our fruit from places like Eckert’s in Freeburg Illinois (east of St.  Louis) and they had wonderful peaches and apples. There has been a bigger selection in Ohio, but even some of those have disappeared, probably with the owners retiring and no one to take the reins. I used to love picking  my own tart cherries at a place  south of Xenia Ohio. They closed  long ago. But here and there I can find places (if not always pick your own)- for the demands of tart cherries, gooseberries,  lodi and transparent apples, and black raspberries. Difficult to procure to begin with, some years the weather doesn’t cooperate and the crops are short lived or small. You have to keep sharp eyes.

Of course, Ohio is perhaps most well known for it’s corn (and soybeans). I have my favorite places.

Right now,  they are buried under corn, Athena cantaloupe, sugar baby watermelons, peaches, blackberries,  zucchini, tomatoes, early season eating apples (such as MacIntosh), candy onions (large very  fresh sweet onions), okra, sweet and hot peppers,  and the beginnings of the winter squash. Plus many others, depending on  the grower. This will  morph more heavily into apples and things like gourds and  pumpkins into September,with apple season  peaking the third week of September and by then, jack-o-lanterns are everywhere along with  corn shocks bundled up, and lots of kettle corn, pies and  caramel apples- and the king of this area: fresh apple cider. I could go on and on about cider, and how to make sure you find the best blend, because cider is not created equal.

But for right now, I am knee deep in midseason vegetables, which make a great healthy stew. I know it’s hot out, but that’s why we are using the crockpot, right?

This is just chock full of garden vegetables, which if you haven’t grown yourself, are overflowing at the farmer’s markets right now. Of course, they are not  growing that red wine around here. I mean,  they *do* have wineries but most of  the Ohio wines are sweeter or  from  Concord grapes. There is a  lot of   wine locally that makes some good sangria, if you are into that.

This stew is SO healthful! Right now I am doing low carb, and this is just what I need if I  feel like maybe I have been getting too much meat or cheese. It is back to basics with the vegetables.

I find that the flavors in this are often what I am craving when I want pasta as well.  I don’t really like the feel of spaghetti landing like a brick in my belly whether I am cutting carbs or not–it is just too heavy. But this is nice and brothy, not heavy at all.

This should carry you right into early autumn too, until the tomatoes run  out. And then you can  use canned peeled whole tomatoes, which will be fine.

I love that this doesn’t heat the house up, being made in the crock. And on really warm days you can easily serve this at room temperature so it has less of a warming effect. But we really shouldn’t fear soups and stews in the warmer months- we eat warmed up  food all the time. I mean, who likes a cold French Fry?

I  often serve this kind of thing  at room temp with a piece of fresh French baguette,  with  that flaky crumb on the outside and remarkably tender but chewy inside,  with just the right amount of tang. And  don’t forget the butter. And a glass of wine. But let’s skip the concord grape wines and  go straight for something like Argentine Malbec,  shall we? (My foodie friends and I from my old Zaar days have been cooking up a storm  of  Argentine recipes recently- so I have  to give this wine its nod and due).

And my  blogging friends have teamed up to  share our favorite Farmer’s  Market recipes, which will go on all week long. You know the drill if you have been reading Palatable Pastime  for very long- you can find the linked recipes  below, and check back for new ones every day. Enjoy perusing them- I know I will! ~s

More Farm Market Recipes

 

• Blueberry Peach Pie with Pecan Streusel by The Baking Fairy
• Easy Gazpacho Recipe by Everyday Eileen
• Fresh Corn & Tomato Fettuccine by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Grilled Corn Salad by House of Nash Eats
• Grilled Shrimp and Summer Squash Tacos by Tip Garden
• Hummus Chicken Salad by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Kale Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Kielbasa and Cheddar Mini Omelette Cups by The Freshman Cook
• Mexican Street Corn Salad by Simple and Savory
• Parmesan Roasted Zucchini and Tomatoes by Cooking With Carlee
• Potato and Pea Salad by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Ribeye Steaks with Corn Salsa by The Redhead Baker
• Roasted Tomato Salsa by Books n’ Cooks
• Sour Cream Peach Pie by Kate’s Recipe Box
• Summer Pudding by Caroline’s Cooking
• Sweet & Tangy Summer Garden Cucumbers by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Watermelon Cucumber Smoothie by Cookaholic Wife
• Zucchini Quiche by Karen’s Kitchen Stories