Tomato share

Tomatillos, cherry tomatoes and beefsteak tomatoes, mesclun, sweet salad turnips, zucchini, eggplant, sweet peppers, basil, cilantro, Maplebrook Farm mozzarella, Elmore Mountain bread, and Butterworks Farm yogurt.

Whew! Not an onion in sight! It's a bit of a relief given the share over the past several weeks.

When I get the share I usually try to process some of the veggies right away to make room in the refrigerator for other things. Today, I made salsa with the tomatillos and cilantro, cleaned and sliced the turnips for quick snacking or use in salads, chopped, blanched, and froze the turnip greens for future use.

I also used some of the veggies to make dinner. First I followed my neighbor's recipe for zucchini which is shred it, squeeze out all possible moisture, chop some garlic and cook in olive oil for a minute, add the zucchini and cook until the moisture is gone. I liked it but Sam didn't.

I also fried eggplant...dipped in egg then cornmeal and fried in sunflower oil. Not a hit.

Then, in order to use the tempeh we got ages ago I cooked it with hot sesame oil, soy sauce, and ginger and we all hated it.

It was a dinner of misses. No one really liked anything. Ah well, live and learn.

Eggplant Tests

Eggplant isn't something I've commonly used in cooking. It's a pretty plant but, eh, just not my favorite. I tried two different recipes with the ones from the share this week with mixed success - one excellent, one mediocre.

First the excellent one...we had it as a side but it would make an excellent pasta sauce. I had 4 yellow squashes and two patty pan squashes in the share so I used all of it in this. I put the patty pan squash in the microwave for a couple of minutes to make them easier to cut


Summery Eggplant and Summer Squash with Basil

1 large onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil for sauteing
1 Japanese eggplant, diced about 1/2"
6 small summer squashes, diced about 1/2"
3 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 c basil chiffonade
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil. Add the remaining ingredients with the exception of the basil and cook until the vegetables are soft. Add the basil.

Verdict: Excellent! Put some freshly grated Parmesan cheese on the top and enjoy. Ben discovered that reheating the leftovers in butter added a nice touch too.


Eggplant Gratin

Olive Oil
1 Japanese eggplant, peeled, sliced into pieced 1/2" thick
1 small onion cut into quarters
1/3 c milk
1 egg
4 oz grated misc cheese (we had cheddar, goat cheese and something I can't remember)
1/2 t minced fresh rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 450. Break apart the onion pieces and coat that and the eggplant with a thin layer of olive oil. Roast in the oven until the pieces brown a bit, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile mix remaining ingredients except the bread crumbs. Grease a very small casserole dish. Reduce oven to 400. Put eggplant and onion (chop this smaller first if you wish) into the dish, pour egg mixture in and mix it around a bit. Top with breadcrumbs. Bake 30 minutes until top is browned.

Verdict: I just didn't like this very much, the flavors just didn't seem right and I didn't care for the texture. Sam liked it a lot. Ben liked it too.

Oh, I was fairly accurate in my prediction that most everything would still be uneaten when we got home. The only vegetables Ben had eaten were the beets.

Cheesy Eggplant

Sam's been interested in trying new fruits and vegetables lately, something I'd hate to discourage. On our most recent trip to the store he was fascinated with eggplant, yet another vegetable I haven't normally cooked or eaten but of course I was willing to give it a try.


Cheesy Eggplant Casserole

1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/4" pieces
1 T salt
3/4 c breadcrumbs
1-2 eggs, beaten
olive oil for pan frying
1 lb ground turkey
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes in juice
1/4 c fresh oregano
1 T fresh thyme
salt
pepper
6 oz mozzarella cheese, grated

Rub salt on the eggplant slices, place slices in a collander and set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse and dry the eggplant slices, dip in eggs, and then into breadcrumbs. Brown the slices in olive oil, about 2 minutes per side at medium high temperature. Place slices in the bottom of a pan or casserole dish (I used an 11"x7" because I had a small eggplant).

Drain tomato juice and grind up the tomatoes (I used my immersion blender for this)

Brown turkey in a little oil if necessary. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft. Add tomatoes, herbs, and salt. Pour the sauce over the eggplant. Top with cheese.

Bake about an hour at 350 until the eggplant is soft. I assembled this two days in advance then baked it and that worked just fine. It made about 8 small servings.


Verdict: Sam loved it and wanted it in his lunch the next day. Ben liked it but thought it would be better with noodles - he thought it should be lasagna. I liked it but thought it might be nicer with a bit more kick, perhaps a little cayenne.