Welcome to Tasty Tuesday at Things To Do In New Jersey!

One of the things I love most about summer in the Garden State is the wide variety of fresh vegetables coming from our New Jersey farms. My kitchen is busting at the seams with eggplants, tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, and fresh herbs to boot! The other day I decided to take all these Jersey Fresh veggies and make a tasty, nutritious snack. I couldn’t find quite what I was looking for, so I adapted a few recipes and came up with… Roasted Ratatouille Spread!

WOW. This was so delicious (and, as an extra bonus, the vegetables filled my kitchen with a wonderful aroma as they roasted)! We ate it with crostini and all the boys asked if I could make it again soon. Yep, I think this one’s a keeper!

In addition to being super-yummy, this recipe is low in fat and high in fiber, making it a great snack for anyone watching their weight! I calculated the points, and one 1/4 cup serving equals just 1 Weight Watchers PointsPlus point.

Roasted Ratatouille Spread

1 small eggplant (about 1 pound)
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
1 medium yellow onion
2 red bell peppers
1 pound ripe plum tomatoes
6-8 cloves of garlic, peeled
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. dried oregano or 2 Tbsp. fresh oregano

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Cut the eggplant. zucchini, yellow squash, onion, bell peppers, and tomatoes into 1-inch chunks. Toss the vegetables and peeled garlic cloves with olive oil and spread in a large rimmed baking pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast the vegetables for about 45 minutes, until the edges start to get a bit brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

Put all of the vegetables and the oregano in a food processor and process until the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour prior to serving. Serve with crackers, pita chips, or crostini. Can also be used as a dip for crudités or a sandwich spread.

Note: I did not use hot peppers in this recipe but, if you’d like your spread to be extra zesty, you could toss a seeded jalapeño in with the vegetables as they roast.

Makes about 4 cups. 1/4 cup serving = 1 PointsPlus point