CSA Week 6
Grove Small |
Grove Large |
Kale |
Kale |
Mustard Greens |
Mustard Greens |
Tatsoi |
Tatsoi |
Scallions |
Scallions |
Eggplant |
Eggplant |
Sungold Cherry Tomatoes |
Sungold Cherry Tomatoes |
Dill |
Parsley |
|
Fennel |
|
Lettuce |
Upper East Side Small |
Upper East Side Large |
Kale |
Kale |
Sorrel |
Hon Tsai Tai |
Tatsoi |
Tatsoi |
Scallions |
Scallions |
Eggplant |
Eggplant |
Sungold Cherry Tomatoes |
Sungold Cherry Tomatoes |
Dill |
Parsley |
|
Fennel |
|
Lettuce
|
Happy Holidays from the farm! This Week we thought we would go light on greens, since we know you all have many fun side dishes to make for a variety of holiday feasts. Cherry tomatoes, fennel, dill, parsley and eggplants all combine well and compliment one another for traditional mediterranean cooking. We recommend flipping through the pages of your well worn copy of PLENTY (or asking for plenty for christmas if you dont already own it!), Yotam Ottolenghi's all veggie Israeli cookbook for inspiration.
The cover photo recipe is Roasted eggplant topped with yoghurt and pomegranite seeds:
ingredients
- 2 large and long eggplants
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon thyme leaves, plus a few whole sprigs to garnish
- Maldon sea salt and black pepper
- 1 pomegranate
- 1 tsp za'atar
- 9 tbsp buttermilk
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle to finish
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed
- Pinch of salt
preparation
Preheat the oven to 200°F. Cut the eggplants in half lengthways, cutting straight through the green stalk (the stalk is for the look; don't eat it). Use a small sharp knife to make three or four parallel incisions in the cut side of each eggplant half, without cutting through to the skin. Repeat at a 45-degree angle to get a diamond-shaped pattern.
Place the eggplant halves, cut-side up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush them with olive oil—keep on brushing until all of the oil has been absorbed by the flesh. Sprinkle with the lemon thyme leaves and some salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, at which point the flesh should be soft, flavorful and nicely browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down completely.
While the eggplants are in the oven, cut the pomegranate into two horizontally. Hold one half over a bowl, with the cut side against your palm, and use the back of a wooden spoon or a rolling pin to gently knock on the pomegranate skin. Continue beating with increasing power until the seeds start coming out naturally and falling through your fingers into the bowl. Once all are there, sift through the seeds to remove any bits of white skin or membrane.
To make the sauce. Whisk together all of the ingredients. Taste for seasoning, then keep cold until needed.
To serve, spoon plenty of buttermilk sauce over the eggplant halves without covering the stalks. Sprinkle za'atar and plenty of pomegranate seeds on top and garnish with lemon thyme. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Sungolds are everyones favorite cherry tomato, beloved for their sweet almost pineapple flavor and vibrant sun inspired coloring. A simple yet delicious way to eat them is to halve the small fruit, then toss with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh oregano.
Rainbow Kale, a fun purple tinged variety with similar flavor profile and uses to our more popular Lacinato kale.
Fennel has many uses as it can be eaten both raw and cooked. Use a mandolin or your expert knife skills to slice the raw fruit thinly then toss with chunks of citrus, dill, cress or arugula (both available at the market stand) and a tart vinaigrette for a refreshing shaved salad. Or cut into thicker more hearty chunks and roast in the oven with garlic and olive oil. Roasting brings down the anise flavor of the raw vegetable and lets its sweetness stand out.
Tat Soi, an asian cabbage popular in stir fries