LOOKS ARE AS IMPORTANT as taste in chef Ryan Bartlow’s third Slow Food Fast recipe—which is certainly not to say it’s fussy.
Bell peppers, eggplant, onions, Romano beans and cherry tomatoes grill until they’re sweet and smoky. Torn into strips, arranged in a crosshatch pattern, the vegetables make an appealing composition. A punchy garlic vinaigrette ties everything together.
Go ahead and use your hands to tear the vegetables; the edges should look jagged and rustic. “The eggplant and peppers are the most important flavors, so they’re what makes up the base,” said Mr. Bartlow. Once everything is assembled, spoon on the dressing so it puddles up and slinks into the corners. “This is meant to be a bit wet. You’ll want to mop it with bread,” he explained.
Mr. Bartlow’s final words on the dish are practically a poem: “It should look like a layered vegetable mosaic. And it should taste of July and August.”
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