Farmers Market Ratatouille with Chicken and Pesto

Market Squash Assortment

Grilled Ratatouille with Chicken and Basil Pesto

A early morning wake up allowed me to get to the local farmers market before it became too crowded. Summer's definitely here and it shows with all the market bins overflowing with fresh produce. My plan is always to walk the whole market and note the price and location of items I like, then I can go back and get what I want for the right price. Today I saw lots of squash varieties available and the first thing that came to mind was the classic Mediterranean dish Ratatouille, a combination of different squash, eggplant, onions and tomato drenched in olive oil. I had to make this and I found everything I needed plus I bought a huge bunch of basil to make pesto to go with chicken thighs that I planned to grill later in the day. With a hot charcoal fire burning I first grilled the vegetables for the Ratatouille then I put the chicken on, with the chicken cooking I diced the cooked vegetables and blended the pesto. Everything came together fast and easy with incredible fresh flavors. I cant wait to go back and explore the aisles.