What’s in this Week’s Share?

Veggies:

Salad Mix

Mesclun Mix

Pole Beans

Eggplant

Beets

Tomatoes

Swiss Chard

Pickling Cukes

Shell Peas

 

Fruit:

Blueberries

 

Storage and Handling Tips…

Eggplant:

With eggplant, the fresher it is the better it tastes, so try to use it sooner rather than later.  Store it at a cool room temperature or in the vegetable bin of your fridge for up to about a week.

Eggplant can be peeled but it’s not necessary.

To remove acrid flavors and excess moisture, cut your eggplant into slices and salt it lightly, then let the slices sit in your colander for 10-15 minutes. Then gently squeeze out any liquid.  Doing this causes the eggplant to soak up less oil and need less salt for preparation.

Always cook eggplant! Cooking it removes a toxic substance called solanine.

Eggplant Cooking Tips:

To bake: Prick eggplant all over with a fork and bake at 400 degrees until flesh is tender, about 30-40 minutes.  Flesh can be pureed.

To Stuff: Bake 20 minutes, scoop out seeds, replace with stuffing, and return to oven for 15 minutes.

To Saute: Try dipping slices or chunks in flour or eggs and bread crumbs before sauteing.  Saute in hot oil until light brown.  Season with herbs, garlic, or grated cheese.

To Steam: Whole eggplant will steam over an inch of water in 15-30 minutes.  Use the flesh for pulp or season with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper, or cover in a tomato sauce.

Blend cooked eggplant with lemon juice and seasonings of choice for a dip or spread.

Grill slices along with other vegetables, like peppers, or skewer and grill along with other shish kabob ingredients.

Dip in your favorite batter and lightly fry in vegetable oil.

It’s a little known fact… that Thomas Jefferson is credited with first introducing the eggplant to North America, growing it in his Virginia garden.

 

Beets:

Cut off the leaves and stems about 1 or 2 inches above the crown of the root.  put the roots in a plastic bag in stick them in the vegetable bin of your fridge.

Beet greens are delicious and best when fresh. Store them in a plastic bag or wrapped in a damp cloth in the fridge.

There’s no need to peel beets, just give them a good scrubbing to clean them.

Try grating them into salads or slaws, or cutting them into cubes for soups and stews.

Serve sliced, steamed beets at room temp, tossed in olive oil with a dash of salt and pepper or a vinaigrette.

Try baking beets at 350 degrees for 1-2 hours or until they are easily pierced with a fork.  Rub off the skins and cut off any rootlings, then serve whole or sliced.

Beet greens can be added to a mixed green salad, or steamed or sauteed.

 

Swiss Chard:

Put chard in a plastic bag, or wrap it in a damp towel and put it in the veggie bin of your fridge.

Chard is at its best when used as soon as possible, but it will keep for 2 to 4 days in the fridge.

Wash your chard before using by separating the leaves and giving them a water bath removing any soil.

Saute chard leaves in garlic butter or with onions.

Toss steamed chard leaves with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.  For and Asian flavor, toss with toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce.

Use chard in stir-fries with different colored and textured veggies.  Serve over rice or noodles.

For soups, add chard stem chunks 10 minutes and leaves 4-5 minutes before soup is done.

Use Swiss chard in any recipe calling for fresh spinach, like quiches, lasagna, omelets, etc.

 

Recipes of the Week!

Swiss Chard Pie

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons oil

1 bunch Swiss chard

6 eggs

1 cup shredded cheese

1 teaspoon salt

2 pie crusts

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Brown onion and garlic in oil.  Trim and chop chard, add to pan, and cook down until wilted.  Beat eggs in a bowl; mix in cheese, salt, and chard mixture.  pour into pie crusts; bake until knife inserted into center comes out clean, 30-40 minutes. Makes 2 pies.

from the cookbook From Asparagus to Zucchini

 

Roasted Beet Salad with Oranges and Beet Greens

4-6 Beets depending on size

1 small sweet onion cut through root end into thin wedges

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim greens from beets. Cut off and discard stems. Coarsely chop leaves and reserve. Wrap each beet in foil. Place beets directly on oven rack and roast until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Cool. Peel beets, then cut each into 8 wedges. Place beets in medium bowl.

Cook beet greens in large saucepan of boiling water just until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Cool. Squeeze greens to remove excess moisture. Add greens to bowl with beets. Cut peel and white pith from oranges. Working over another bowl and using small sharp knife, cut between membranes to release segments. Add orange segments and onion to bowl with beet mixture. Whisk vinegar, oil, garlic, and orange peel in small bowl to blend; add to beet mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Serve.

from epicurious.com

 

Chinese Steamed Eggplant

1 large eggplant, cut into 6 wedges

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large green onion, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon sugar

pinch of black pepper

Steam eggplant until tender, about 30 minutes.  Heat oil in wok or large skillet. Stir-fry green onion 1 minute.  Add remaining ingredients.  Stir-fry 3 more minutes. Makes 3-4 servings.

from the cookbook From Asparagus to Zucchini

 

Mixed Greens with Feta Almonds and Blueberries

1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon honey

5 ounces salad greens

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces)

1 1/2-pint container blueberries

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Whisk vinegar, oil, and honey in small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Combine greens, feta, and blueberries in large bowl. Add dressing; toss to coat. Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve.