Don’t say that R-word

RATATOUILLE is one of the all-time great compositions of late summer cooking, but it has a little more in common with Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” than it probably should. Revel in it once and it’s lovely. Experience it over and over and it gets annoying. You almost start wondering what Kanye West would do.

It’s easy to see why this Provencal stew has become such an American standard. At a time of year when farmers markets are borderline heartbreaking, with more gorgeous produce than even the most profligate shopper can haul home and reasonably cook, ratatouille is one savory way to showcase three ingredients at their peak: eggplant, zucchini and peppers. The fact that tomatoes, basil and garlic are essential for seasoning is just gravy.

One ratatouille really makes a summer, though. There’s no reason to keep cooking the vegetables in exactly the same way. It’s the combination that makes the trio brilliant, and keeping them together is the key. And when you think about what makes each ingredient so tantalizing, it’s easy to get inspired.

In ratatouille, all the vegetables are braised to indistinguishable softness. But when you grill or roast them, they keep their shape and take on an irresistibly smoky undertone. Eggplant in particular turns creamy and takes on a whole different character.

Layer them and you get cascading flavor and a gorgeous look, which is why the three so often turn up in restaurants in terrines or napoleons. Using them in a timbale is easier and just as spectacular. A cheesy custard binds the layers of purple, green and red, but the pure summery vegetable flavor comes through.

If you steam or roast eggplant, you get a fabulous foundation for what the Italians call polpettine, little “meatballs.” Traditionally they are made with only eggplant mixed with cheese and bread crumbs, but they are even more satisfying with diced zucchini and pepper mixed in.

When you shallow-fry them, you get crusty golden fritters with soft centers and bursts of red and green. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon and the flavor almost jumps. They could not be further from chunky ratatouille, and you can serve them as hors d’oeuvres or even as a topping for tomato-sauced spaghetti.

Because the trinity is so harmonious, it can go unexpected places, including into Mexican dishes. Eggplant usually gets short shrift in Southwestern food, but it takes just as well to cumin, oregano and cilantro as do the usual zucchini and peppers.

A saute of the three vegetables diced small makes an excellent filling for a burrito or taco and an even better enchilada. An ancho chile sauce and lots of cheese will vanquish any ratatouille memories.

You can also simmer the three vegetables in a curry to serve over rice, either Indian style or Thai-inspired with coconut milk. Or you can roast them like lamb and combine them with couscous, heated up with harissa.

If you stick with ratatouille’s Mediterranean roots, inspiration comes even more naturally. Pasta -- fusilli, penne, rigatoni -- sauced with eggplant, zucchini and peppers is superb, whether simply tossed with a crumbly cheese such as ricotta salata or baked with tomatoes and a good melting cheese such as Fontina.

A gratin of the three vegetables layered with tomatoes and mozzarella on a bed of sauteed onions is the ultimate one-dish meal, hot or cold. And a pan bagnat-style sandwich of the three vegetables grilled and paired with pesto on a good baguette is an ideal movable feast, for a picnic or just in front of the computer.

The Ratatouille Three, sliced and roasted rather than braised, are also equally at home as a topping on focaccia or a pizza, as a filling for a frittata or an omelet, or as the “meat” in a well-dressed salad, with greens or pasta or even rice.

One rule of ratatouille applies with all these variations: Use a good heavy globe eggplant, not a skinny or dainty Asian variety. You want a high proportion of flesh to skin to get the most sublime flavor and texture.

The season is definitely on your side. Eggplants this time of year are local and less bitter, so you don’t have to bother with the usual time-sucking detour through salting and draining. As a bonus, there are so many to choose from, particularly the white kind, which are firmer and more mellow and usually less seed-ridden.

Red peppers now are perfect for roasting, with skins that separate easily from the flesh when you char them on a grill or under the broiler. They also have far more rich flavor and less of that waxy texture that afflicts Holland peppers bred for long-distance shipping, so you can dice them small and use them raw or sauteed.

And of course there’s no shortage of zucchini, in prime condition: long and slender rather than baseball bat-shaped with lots of seeds and water.

Put them all together, especially with cheese, and you have anything but predictability.

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Zucchini- eggplant-pepper polpettine

Total time: 1 hour

Servings: 6 to 8 as an appetizer (makes about 2 1/2 to 3 dozen)

1 medium eggplant, about 1 pound

1 medium slender zucchini

1 small red bell pepper, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano

1/3 cup pine nuts

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1 cup panko crumbs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Flour for coating

Olive oil for frying

Hot sauce or lemon wedges

1. Trim the eggplant and zucchini and cut in half lengthwise. Arrange, cut side down, in steamer basket over simmering water in large pot. Steam the zucchini 3 minutes and transfer to paper towels to dry. Continue steaming the eggplant until it’s very soft, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a colander and drain, cut side down, 20 minutes, until most of the liquid has seeped out.

2. Cut the zucchini into fine dice and place in a mixing bowl. Scoop out the eggplant pulp with a spoon and finely chop. Add to the zucchini.

3. Add the diced pepper, garlic, cheese, pine nuts, thyme and panko, and mix well. Season generously with salt and pepper. Stir in the egg and mix well.

4. Pour oil to a depth of one-fourth inch in a large skillet and heat until shimmering. Working in batches, shape the eggplant mixture into balls the size of small walnuts and roll in flour to coat lightly, shaking off the excess. (The balls will be soft but will take shape as they roll in the flour.) Lay the patties into the hot oil and cook until crisp and golden-brown, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side.

5. Drain well on paper towels and serve hot, warm or at room temperature, with hot sauce or freshly squeezed lemon juice if desired.

Each serving: 260 calories; 9 grams protein; 17 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 18 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 38 mg. cholesterol; 226 mg. sodium.

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Eggplant-zucchini-pepper enchiladas

Total time: About 1 1/2 hours

Servings: 4 to 6

Note: Dried ancho chiles are available at Latino markets and in the Latino food sections of grocery stores.

Ancho sauce

4 dried ancho chiles

3 large cloves garlic, unpeeled

1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican

3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1. Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles and place the peppers in a glass bowl. Pour boiling water over to cover by 3 inches and let them soak until very soft, about 30 minutes.

2. Drain the peppers and place them in a blender with the garlic and oregano. Strain the soaking water and add 1 1/2 cups to the blender. Puree until smooth. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a clean, shallow pie plate; season with salt and set aside.

Enchiladas and assembly

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium red pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2 -inch dice

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, divided

1 medium white eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2 -inch dice

2 long, slender zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/2 -inch dice

2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Corn oil

3 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Chopped lettuce and radishes

Crema or sour cream (optional)

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and pepper. Stir in about one-half teaspoon coarse sea salt. Cook, stirring often, until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the eggplant and zucchini and the remaining one-half-teaspoon salt. Cook until soft, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Stir in the oregano and cumin and remove from the heat.

2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Coat the bottom with about 2 tablespoons sauce. Set aside.

3. Heat about 1 inch oil in 9-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low. With tongs, sweep 1 tortilla through the hot oil just long enough to coat and soften (about 10 seconds). Lift it out with tongs and drain off excess oil. Dredge it through the chile sauce to coat, then lay it into the prepared pan so that half the tortilla extends up the side. Spoon about 2 tablespoons vegetable mixture down the center, then top with about 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up to enclose the filling and turn the seam side down. Repeat this process with the remaining tortillas and filling. Spoon any remaining sauce evenly over the assembled enchiladas. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

4. Bake until the tortillas are soft and the cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes; do not over-bake. Serve hot, garnished with chopped lettuce and radishes and a drizzle of crema, if desired.

Each serving: 526 calories; 20 grams protein; 41 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams fiber; 34 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 50 mg. cholesterol; 629 mg. sodium.

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Zucchini-eggplant-pepper timbales

Total time: About 1 hour

Servings: 4

Note: Use 4-ounce (3-inch diameter) ramekins

1 large red bell pepper

1 medium eggplant, trimmed

Olive oil

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 medium zucchini, trimmed

2 large eggs

1/3 cup heavy cream

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Pinch cayenne

1 cup grated Swiss Gruyere cheese

1. Heat the grill or grill pan. Char the peppers until blistered on all sides. Or char the pepper over a gas flame on the stovetop, turning it as the skin blisters and turns black. Cool, then slip off skins and remove seeds. Cut into thin strips and set aside.

2. Create stripes in the eggplant by removing lengthwise half-inch strips of peel so that peeled strips alternate with peel left on. Then cut the eggplant crosswise into 12 half-inch-thick slices (they will have decorative edges). Brush the slices very lightly on both sides with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill until soft, about 9 minutes. Cool.

3. Cut the zucchini crosswise into half-inch-thick slices. Brush very lightly with oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill until soft, about 7 to 8 minutes. Cool.

4. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Oil 4 small ramekins or custard cups.

5. Mix the eggs with the cream, garlic, basil and cayenne. Add the cheese.

6. Place 1 eggplant slice in each ramekin. Layer 3 or 4 zucchini slices over to cover. Strew a few pepper strips around the sides of the ramekin. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, zucchini and peppers, ending with eggplant. Press down slightly. Ladle egg mixture over each.

7. Place the ramekins in a deep baking dish. Pour boiling water into the dish to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the custard comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

8. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and cool slightly on rack before unmolding. Run small spatula around the perimeter to loosen, then turn out onto plate. Flip over with a larger spatula.

Each serving: 397 calories; 15 grams protein; 15 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams fiber; 33 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 162 mg. cholesterol; 147 mg. sodium.