Pistou, Pisto Castellano, Pisto con Gambas ... by any other name is ratatouille. Ratatouille with stuff added gets a 'Pisto con ....' handle. In any language , you can't get more seasonal! Pisto and ratatouille are really the same dish ... one French and the other Spanish ... I daresay the tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, peppers and onions know nothing of political borders or languages. They grow and ripen under the same hot summer sun and when they offer themselves up ... it all comes together to make the ultimate seasonal vegetable dish. Different regions of cooks add few different touches and herbs; the dish morphs to meet the needs of the different hungry bellies!
As the layers of tomatoes ripen on the back porch, I take my pick and head to the herb garden for fresh parsley. Within an hour, there is a soft satisfying dish of traditional Pisto Castellano - plain and simple ratatouille sitting on the dinner table for our Meatless Monday fare.
Sprinkled with a bit of cheese and served with some black olive and rosemary bread and a wedge of goat cheese pressed in Herbs de Provence, it makes for a wonderful seasonal supper. If ever there was a directive to crack a bottle of red wine, this is the time for that directive. Open a full-bodied red, plate some olive oil and herbs, black olives, have on hand a big loaf of crusty artisan bread, and enjoy some Pisto/Ratatouille!
