Overview
Food trucks tick all the right boxes when it comes to those late night foodie dilemmas. They're cheap, fulfilling, fast, and guaranteed to be made fresh on the spot, so it comes as no surprise that they've been steadily growing in popularity on the streets of Melbourne.
There's not exactly an abundance of choice when it comes to dining out for vegetarians. Sure there's the vegan restaurant or two, but all too often, vegetarians have had to resort to measly pickings on any given menu. The Little Mushroom Co. have managed to fulfil that niche by rolling burger joint, food truck and vege haven into one cute little converted caravan. Plus, the operation is completely solar powered, so they're environmentally friendly too. For under $10 a pop, you can get one of their signature mushroom burgers (or for the less fungi-inclined, there's the option for haloumi and ratatouille).
Thankfully, graphic designer and photographer Erika Budiman has done a service for us all in getting hold of The Little Mushroom Co.'s recipe for their ratatouille burger as part of her new recipe book, Food Truck Feasts, a culmination of her year long quest exploring Australia's multicultural food scene. Now that's a job we want. Get ready for the inevitable blissful food coma.
RATATOUILLE BURGER
Serves 6
1 whole garlic bulb
2 onions (white, brown or Spanish)
4 ripe capsicums (red, green or yellow)
3 zucchinis
4 tomatoes (Roma or similar)
extra virgin olive oil
½ bottle passata sauce
½ cup red wine
splash of red wine vinegar
dried Italian herbs (or a combination of oregano, coriander and a little rosemary works well)
pinch of smoked paprika
bay leaf (optional)
rocket leaves
splash of balsamic vinegar
parmesan, grated
6 ciabatta buns or similar
Preheat fan-forced oven to 150°C (170°C conventional/Gas 3). Cut the top off the garlic bulb (exposing just the tops of the cloves) and place it, together with two of the whole capsicums, on a tray. Drizzle olive oil liberally over them. Add the whole onions to the same tray, or in a separate smaller tray, and put all of the vegetables in the oven. Cook for approximately 30 minutes (check the garlic bulb after 20 minutes; it may need to be removed earlier).
Put the onions, whole, in the oven. Drizzle some olive oil over two capsicums (also whole) and put in the oven as well. Cook onions and capsicums for about 30 minutes.
Halve the zucchinis lengthways. Drizzle the zucchinis and the remaining capsicums with a little olive oil and salt, and grill them on a barbecue or on a flat plate with exposed griddles (the taste is much better on a barbecue). Turn the zucchinis when they start to char.
Put the capsicums from the grill into a bowl and cover with foil or plastic wrap while the capsicums are still hot, to allow them to sweat. After a few minutes, peel the skins off the capsicums, remove and discard the stem and seeds, and rip into irregular but still large pieces. Cut the zucchinis into large irregular pieces as well.
Remove the garlic bulb from the oven and, when cooled a little, squeeze the garlic from each clove. Remove the skin from the onions and cut into irregular bits (they will have separated beautifully after being in the oven).
In a large pan, over a medium flame, heat some olive oil and add the capsicum, zucchini, onion and garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring. Pour in the passata, red wine and red wine vinegar and continue to stir. Add the herbs, paprika and bay leaf, and cover. Reduce to a low heat and cook for two to four hours.
When done, toast the buns in a pan or under the grill. Cut them in half and drizzle with a little olive oil. Spoon some ratatouille onto the bun and finish with some rocket, balsamic vinegar and a little parmesan.
If the ratatouille tastes quite acidic, you can add a little sugar to the vegetables to balance the vinegar. The ratatouille always tastes much better over the next few days, after it has had time to settle and develop its flavours. It will keep in the refrigerator for around a week.
Via Food Truck Feasts, published by Explore Australia Publishing, RRP $34.95, www.exploreaustralia.net.au.
