What’s In The Box with Recipe Suggestions
Arugula: This green has a bit more of a spicy kick to it. If you find the flavor of arugula to be on the strong side when you eat it raw by itself, give it a chance. The flavor mellows when cooked and/or combined with other ingredients.
Crispy Parmesan Crusted Eggplant with Arugula
Green Beans: Keep it simple. Lightly sauté or steam until tender and season with salt, pepper and some melted butter. Take a moment to taste how fresh and delicious they are on their own!
Cheesy Ham Green Bean Casserole
Greek Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner with Green Beans & Feta
Broccoli: We are at the tail end of our spring planted broccoli. When this crop is finished, we’ll have a few weeks gap before we start harvesting fall broccoli.
Green Top Carrots: Carrot tops are a sign of freshness and they’re edible! Use them, along with the actual carrots, to make Carrot & Carrot Top Tempura!
White Cauliflower or Kohlrabi or Fennel: Our spring planted Cauliflower is slowing way down this week. Kohlrabi is still growing strong, so we decided to put some in the box when we finish with the Cauliflower.
Creamy Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
Swiss Chard & Lentil Soup with Herbed Kohlrabi Yogurt
Rainbow Chard: Chard is a nutrient packed green that is actually in the beet family. It’s high in vitamin K as well as antioxidants and a whole host of other vitamins and minerals. It is a great green to eat raw or cooked in the heat of the summer when lettuce and other salad greens are less available.
Smashed White Bean Kale Quesadillas (using Chard)
Green and/or Silver Slicer Cucumbers: Check out our blog post in 2019 and you’ll find a list of 30 different recipes/recipe ideas for things to make with cucumbers.
Fresh Italian Garlic: It’s starting to dry down a bit more than last week’s garlic but is still considered fresh. Store it on the counter until you’re ready to use it.
Eggplant: You will receive one or more of three varieties including the traditional Black eggplant, the striped Listada or long and slender Lilac Bride. Refer to this week’s vegetable feature article for more information.
Jalapeño Peppers: There is one large jalapeño in this week’s box. Make sure you don’t overlook it when you’re unpacking your box. Remember THIS IS A HOT PEPPER!
Portuguese Bread and Garlic Soup with Cilantro
Sierra Blanca or White Spanish Onions: This week we’re finishing off the Sierra Blanca onions and moving on to White Spanish Onions. Spanish onions are milder and sweeter, making them a great choice for eating raw in salads
Creamy Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
Green Bell Pepper: This is just the start of more peppers to come!
New Potatoes: Check out last week’s vegetable feature article to learn more about what makes these potatoes “New Potatoes.” Due to their thin skins, they won’t store for more than a week or two. Eat them soon!
Green and/or Italian and/or Yellow Scallopini Squash: Are you a Hummus fan? Try the recipe below for Grilled Zucchini Hummus!
Vegetable Feature: Eggplant
Eggplant is a member of the nightshade family, along with potatoes and tomatoes. It is a beautiful crop, in their peak, the plants can be loaded with beautiful glossy fruit hanging heavily on the plant. There are many varieties of eggplants ranging in size from small round eggplants the size of a golf ball to large globe eggplants weighing several pounds. While there are many varieties to choose from, we have narrowed our lineup of eggplants to our three favorite varieties including Lilac Bride, Listada and the traditional Black eggplant. Each variety has slightly different characteristics which may impact your decision as to how you want to prepare them. If you’re not familiar with the different varieties, we have included a brief description of each one below. We encourage you to refer to these descriptions each week to help you identify which eggplant you receive as this information will also help you choose the most fitting recipe for what you have received!
Black Globe Eggplant: This is the most familiar variety of eggplants. It is characterized by dark, purple skin that looks black. It is best used in dishes like Eggplant Parmesan, lasagna or to make dips, etc. This variety will also hold up on the grill or if roasted.
Lilac Bride Eggplant: Lilac bride eggplant is long and slender with lavender to dark purple skin and white flesh. It is best used in Thai curry dishes, stews, or any other preparation where you want the eggplant to hold its shape better. The skin is tender enough you don’t need to peel it.
Listada Eggplant: Listada is characterized by a small globe shape with dark purple/ magenta skin streaked with white stripes. It is characterized by dense “meaty” flesh that holds up very well with grilling or roasting.
Eggplant is grown all around the world and is a part of the cuisine in many different cultures. As such, there are many different options for how you may choose to prepare it. It is important to note that eggplant should be cooked before eating it. Eggplant has a mild flavor and soft, silky texture when cooked, which is what makes it unique. While eggplant doesn’t have a striking flavor, its texture is what makes it a sponge that is able to absorb other flavors. Eggplant pairs well with other vegetables including tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, zucchini, potatoes, lentils, and chickpeas. It also goes well with flavorful olive oil, tahini, herbs such as basil, parsley and mint, and spices including cumin, coriander, sumac, and cinnamon. It is a friend to dairy products including yogurt, cheese (feta, Parmesan and mozzarella), and cream and fruits including lemons and pomegranate.
Eggplant can be prepared using a variety of cooking methods including pan-frying, baking, grilling, and roasting. Many resources will tell you to salt eggplant before cooking it to remove bitterness. While some older varieties were bitter, the new varieties we grow have been selected because they are not bitter, thus you can skip the salting step for that reason. You may still choose to salt eggplant to soften the flesh, so it doesn’t absorb too much oil. Most of our varieties of eggplant have skin that is tender enough to eat, thus you do not need to peel them.
When you are reading recipes, you’ll find they often refer to “1 medium eggplant.” Well, eggplant grows in a wide range of sizes. So how do you know what “1 medium eggplant” is actually referring to? Well, the best guideline I can offer you is that most recipes are likely to refer to about one pound of raw eggplant. If you have a larger eggplant than you need to use at the time, I encourage you to cook it all (if possible) at one time and then store any remaining unused portion. If you have some extra grilled eggplant, you can add it into a vegetable wrap, scramble it into your morning eggs or add it as a pizza topping. If you choose to roast eggplant and puree the flesh, you can store any unused pureed portion for another use or you can freeze it. When you are ready to use it, just pull it out of the freezer, thaw it and it’s ready to turn into a dip, soup or even a chocolate dessert! That’s right, eggplant puree can be used in baked goods similarly to how we use mashed bananas! If you don’t believe me, refer to this decadent recipe for Chocolate Eggplant Torte.
Eggplant does not store terribly well and is best stored at a temperature of about 45-50°F. This is warmer than your home refrigerator should be set at, thus we recommend storing your eggplant on the kitchen counter and use it within 2-4 days. If it starts to get a little soft or dehydrated looking, it’s still good, however we recommend you use it as soon as possible.
Short & Sweet Weekly Farm Update
“Honor the hands that harvest your crops.” Dolores Huerta
Last Saturday afternoon, Harmony Valley Farm took the afternoon off. That’s right, we need a break sometimes too! We had our annual crew appreciation party to celebrate those hands that harvest our crops. The afternoon was spent at our local Legion park. There was lots of volleyball playing, a pinata, lots of good food and we ended the evening with foot races! (Note: some of us older ones watched, not participated in the races.) Our crew can be quite competitive and really enjoy the games. A great time was had by all that were able to make it. Special ‘thank you’ to Kelly, Bruce, Adriana, Isbel, Veronica, and Jimena for organizing the party and food!
