Welcome to week 13 of the P&C CSA!

Here’s what’s in the box:

• Siskiyou Sweet Onion
• Lacinato Kale – If you’re looking for new and fun ways to enjoy your kale, check out the kale chips recipe below.
• Red Potatoes – Colorado Rose is the variety this week
• Corn – bigger and better than last time!
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Eggplant – we’re growing three types of eggplant and we harvested some of each this week just to have enough to give you a taste. Check out the Baba Ganoush recipe below for an eggplant dip option
• Tomatoes – Stupice (pronounced stoo-PEECH-ka) is the variety this week. It’s an early heirloom tomato bred in the former Czechoslovakia. Don’t be put off by these small tomatoes, they should be sweet and tasty!
• Garlic

First off, thanks to those folks who made it out to the CSA potluck last week. We had a wonderful meal in the field on a pretty perfect summer evening. Jeff and I were happy to share the farm with a few more of you who have chosen to support us this first year of the CSA. We thank you all and we’re already looking forward to the October pumpkin patch event.

At the beginning of each week we begin to discuss what vegetables are going to make an appearance in the box. We try to include a variety of vegetables without overloading you with any one thing in particular. Earlier in the spring the choices were limited and we often just included what was available. Now that we’re at the height of summer production, the choices have grown and choosing a balanced variety of vegetables has become more difficult. We want to give you everything! But in reality, you probably don’t want it all; not all at once anyway.

Each week we try to include at least one of each of the following when available:
• Fruit (Tomatoes! Peas! Squash!)
• Cooking Green (kale, cabbage, chard)
• Fresh Eating Green (lettuce)
• Allium (onions, garlic, leeks)
• Starchy Vegetable (potatoes, beets, carrots)

In addition to including a diverse selection of vegetables, we also want to give you the best of what we have and the first chance at items before we stock them in the market booth. This week we stretched the number of eggplants of harvestable size to be able to include them in the share. We’ve yet to add garlic to the market booth because we want to be sure to have enough for you throughout the fall. For better or for worse, the corn has all been allocated for the CSA. We hope that you feel you’re getting a diverse selection of veggies each week and aren’t feeling too overwhelmed by anything in particular. Of course you can always trade in any item you’ve had enough of with something of equal value from the market booth, and we’d love to hear your thoughts if we’ve included too much of something or not enough.

Enjoy the veggies this week!

Your farmers,

Jeff Bramlett and Carri Heisler

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Recipe inspiration for this week’s vegetables:

Baba Ganoush (Eggplant Dip)

4 medium eggplant, globe or Italian (to yield 2 cups cooked eggplant)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
¼ cup tahini (see Note)
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
~ Salt to taste
~ Juice of 2 to 3 lemons
~ Diced parsley for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Prick the eggplant with a fork. Place them on a baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes or until soft and squishy but not burned. Remove from the oven and let cool.
3. Cut the eggplant in half and scoop out the roasted flesh; chop coarsely. Discard the skins.
4. Purée cooked eggplant to a smooth consistency in a blender or food processor. Add garlic, tahini, olive oil, a pinch of salt, and the juice of two lemons; mix until blended. Season to taste with extra salt and lemon juice.
5. Serve as a dip for raw sliced veggies or pita bread, or as a sandwich spread.

Notes
Tahini is a purée of roasted sesame seeds. Look for it in a jar or can at your grocery store; it’s usually housed with Middle Eastern foods or on the same shelf as other nut butters, such as peanut butter.

From Culinate via Carrie Floyd, http://www.culinate.com/recipes/collections/Culinate+Kitchen/Basics/baba_ganoush_eggplant_dip

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Ratatouille with Penne

• 2 eggplants (1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• coarse salt to taste
• 4 yellow squash (1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 large red bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 8 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 7 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 pounds penne rigate (with ridges)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
• Accompaniment: grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Stir together eggplants, onions, 1/4 cup oil, and kosher salt in a large roasting pan, then roast mixture in middle of oven, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Stir in squash, bell peppers, 2 tablespoons oil, and more kosher salt and roast mixture, stirring occasionally, until bell peppers are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

While vegetables are roasting, simmer tomatoes, garlic, thyme, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and kosher salt in a heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir tomatoes into roasted vegetables and season ratatouille.
Cook penne rigate in a 6-qt. pot of boiling salted water until al dente and drain. While pasta is cooking, stir parsley and basil into ratatouille and season. Toss penne rigate with 1/3 of ratatouille and serve topped with remainder.

Cooks’ note: Ratatouille may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat before using in recipe.

From Epicurious via Gourmet magazine, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ratatouille-with-Penne-102256

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Tuscan Kale Chips

• 12 large Tuscan kale leaves, rinsed, dried, cut lengthwise in half, center ribs and stems removed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 250°F. Toss kale with oil in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange leaves in single layer on 2 large baking sheets. Bake until crisp, about 30 minutes for flat leaves and up to 33 minutes for wrinkled leaves. Transfer leaves to rack to cool.

From Epicurious via Bon Appétit, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Tuscan-Kale-Chips-351240

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Tilghman Island Stew

3 T vegetable oil
2 c chopped onion
1 T minced garlic
4 bay leaves
2 t dried thyme
1 c sliced celery
2 T Old Bay Seasoning
1 1/2 c tomatoes with juice
4 c peeled, cubed sweet potatoes
6 c water or vegetable stock
4 c chopped kale
2 c stemmed and halved green beans
2 c fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 c chopped red bell pepper
2 c sliced zucchini
1 T soy sauce
2 T lemon juice
salt and pepper

Garnish: grated cheddar cheese and chopped parsley or scallions

Note: After chopping the sweet potatoes, immerse them in water right away to prevent discoloration. Drain before adding to the stew.

In a soup pot, warm the oil briefly on medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaves and thyme, then cover and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/4 c water to prevent sticking, if necessary. Add the celery and Old Bay Seasoning and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and water or vegetable stock. Increase the heat to a moderate boil. Stir in the kale and green beans. When the stew returns to a simmer, stir in the corn and cook until the green beans are just tender. Add the bell peppers and zucchini and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until all of the vegetables are tender. Stir in the soy sauce and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
Serve topped with grated cheese and fresh parsley or scallions.

From Moosewood Restaurant: New Classics, The Moosewood Collective

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Kale recipes previously posted:

Potato Kale Soup
Kale and Potato Tarragon Salad
Late Summer Lasagna
Mixed Greens Frittata