17th CSA basket

Now into fall... expect the following this week:

More corn!, squash, watermelon, beets, radish, eggplant, peppers, chard, braising mix, lettuce, scallions, parlsey, a few tomatoes, edamame.

16th CSA basket

Expect the following this week:

Corn, squash, edamame, melon, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, radishes, celery, lettuce, braising mix, parsley, cilantro, scallions, basil.

This is the last of the tomatoes and basil! We harvested all of the tomatoes from the plants this week (even the green ones) and are pulling the dying plants. If you take any firm tomatoes in your share this week, just ripen them on your counter.

Recipe with eggplant

Burnt eggplant - from Jerusalem cookbook

Ingredients: eggplants, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, mint, pomegranate seeds (optional), salt + pepper

Preparing: Burn your eggplant: put your eggplants (at least 2 large or 3 medium) on a hot grill* for about 20-25 minutes, burning each side of the eggplant until it is actually flaky and black. Allow the eggplant to cool a bit and then peel off the skin, reserving all of the soft, silky meat in a colander. Allow to drain for about an hour to get rid of excess liquid. Then place the eggplant meat in a bowl with chopped garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil (at least 1/4 cup), salt and pepper and marinate at least 1 hour (the longer the better).

Eating: When ready to serve, stir in some chopped parsley and mint, garnish with a bit of the parsley and pomegranate seeds if you have them. Great as a dip with pitas.

Dish history: We love a mezze platter, and the Jerusalem cookbook has amazing recipes for vegetable-based dips. We've served it several times and people are always surprised at how silky the eggplant is.

* The original recipe also suggests placing the eggplants directly on your gas range or broiling them.

15th CSA basket

The veggies had a whole week to grow without us picking and prodding around in there, so there is plenty to go around. Expect the following this week:

Corn, squash, edamame*, eggplant, peppers, hot peppers, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, kale, lettuce, basil, cilantro, parsley, scallions, onions.

* What to do with edamame? Steam the whole pods or boil the whole pods in salted water. Then just pop the beans right out of their shell and enjoy as a snack.

Our other day jobs

We love farming, but farming is not enough. We manage to take some time off from the fields to teach; Jason at Bronx Community College and I teach at the Bard Prison Initiative. Being in front of the classroom fills an important need in our lives to spark interest, spread the word and challenge both young and old minds.

Take a second to look at a recent article written in Modern Farmer about the prison garden I work in when I'm not in my own. I swear, they really do like their kale chips.