RECIPE | Ratatouille salsa with Thai dressing

Serves: 6

Thai dressing:

5ml (1 tsp) freshly grated ginger

1 stick lemon grass, finely sliced

5ml (1 tsp) shrimp paste

4 coriander roots, finely chopped

Juice of 6 limes

6 lime leaves or 2 lemon leaves, finely shredded

1 bunch fresh coriander

60g palm or brown sugar

100ml peanut oil

Other ingredients:

30ml (2 tbsp) South African extra virgin olive oil

1 shallot, (or use 2 spring onions), finely chopped

1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed with a little salt

3 peppers - red, yellow and green, cored and diced

2-3 yellow patty pans, diced

3-4 baby marrows, diced

Handful black or green olives (or a combination), pitted

Salt and pepper

Method:

1. For the dressing, blend the ginger, lemon grass, shrimp paste and coriander roots in a food processor. Add the lime juice, lime or lemon leaves, coriander and palm sugar and process till smooth. With the machine running, add the peanut oil a little at a time until you have an emulsified dressing.

2. For the salsa, heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the shallots for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for a few seconds. Add the peppers, patty pans, marrows, olives and 125ml (½ cup) of the dressing. Cook for 3-5 minutes.

3. Remove from the heat and cool before serving.