Welcome to Garden Patch Farm Online

CSA NEWSLETTER #6

SEPTEMBER 8, 2004

Good news! A few new items added this week to your produce bag!

THIS WEEK'S PICKS:

RED DALE POTATOES, YUKON POTATOES, GARLIC, SOME REGULAR CUCUMBERS, A FEW LEMON CUCUMBERS, A FEW PICKLING CUCUMBERS, RED RADISHES, WHITE RADISHES, MELONS, SOME VARIETIES OF CABBAGE: SAVOY, HARD AND PURPLE, SOME VARIETIES OF TOMATOES, KALE, GREEN PEPPERS, SWEET BI-COLOR CORN,2 VARIETIES OF BEANS: GREEN, AND YELLOW DRAGON, 3 VARIETIES OF EGGPLANT, AND BASIL--LOTS YOU CAN NOW CUT FOR DRYING.

BY REQUEST A DAY AHEAD OF TIME:

LARGE CABBAGE THAT HOLDS TOGETHER FOR STUFFING, KOHLRABI, HUNGARIAN HOT PEPPERS, JALAPENO PEPPERS, AND GREEN CAYENNE PEPPERS.

OBSERVED:

*GREEN ONIONS ARE DONE FOR THE YEAR

*CARROTS ARE DONE FOR THE YEAR

*THE CUCUMBERS ARE VERY SPARSE IN THE FIELDS NOW; NEW ONES ARE GROWING FOR MORE QUANTITIES IN 2-3 WEEKS

*THE SWEET BI-COLOR CORN IS A BIT SMALL, BUT VERY GOOD; IT IS BETTER TASTING THE FIRST DAY, SO IF YOU CAN COOK IT THE DAY YOU PICK IT UP, YOU WILL LIKE IT BETTER. (SEE ROBIN'S RECIPE BOOK HERE AT THE FARM FOR HOW TO COOK CORN SO IT IS VERY SWEET)!

*YOU CAN NOW CUT QUITE A BIT OF BASIL FOR DRYING--IT IS GROWING ABUNDANTLY

*THE RED & GREEN BRUSSELS SPROUTS ARE DOING NICELY AND WILL FORM UP FOR COOLER TEMPERATURES--YOU WILL HAVE THEM THEN

*NEW ZUCCHINI PLANTS ARE GROWING; SHOULD HAVE FOR YOU IN 2-3 WEEKS

*NO CAULIFLOWER THIS YEAR

*WE GOT THE WINTER SQUASH IN LATE--IT WILL BE SMALL WHEN READY

"WHAT'S THAT AND WHAT CAN I DO WITH IT"?

WE'RE SURE YOU HAVE ALL HEARD OF AND POSSIBLY EATEN EGGPLANT, BUT HERE ARE SOME TIPS FOR PREPARATION AND ONE OF ROBIN'S RECIPES.

*You can cook eggplant without salting, but there's a very practical reason to do so. One thing you learn is that it drinks up olive oil. Salted and drained eggplant absorbs much less oil than eggplant tht has not recieved this treatment. Cooking eggplant in less oil is the more digestible method. Two tablespoons of oil is sufficient to cook 2 cups salted and drained eggplant. Two cups of unsalted eggplant will need 6-8 tablespoons oil. This is a compelling reason to salt eggplant. Salting is simply sprinkling cut eggplant with salt and placing in a colander for 30 minutes or more. Lightly squeeze out the moisture and pat dry.

*Do not refrigerate eggplant--it's optimum storage temperature is 50 degrees. If you do not have a cool room of 50 degrees, keep the eggplant in as cool a spot as possible, wrapped in a plastic bag with some wet paper toweling or a wet cloth in it to provide humidity. If you store eggplant in the refrigerator, it will develop soft brown spots and become bitter after a day or two.

*Carbon steel knives discolor eggplant: use stainless steel knives instead.

*Top pasta with sauteed eggplant.

*Fold diced eggplant sauteed with hot pepper into scrambled eggs.

*Stuff eggplant with shellfish--shrimp, crab, and lobster all taste wonderful with eggplant.

*Use eggplant cubes in stir-frys.

*Saute` eggplant cubes with zucchini or other vegetables and combine with sauteed potatoes and carrot pieces.

*Drain sauteed eggplant on brown paper; it will absorb excess oil.

*Stuff with Robin's Stuffing for Veggies (see recipe book on pick up day).

*Add cubed eggplant to hearty soups or stews. If the eggplant is sauteed first, the flavor will be richer, but you can also add cubes directly and cook until tender.

*For more ideas on ways to cook eggplant, look to Chinese, Japanese, and Midwestern cooks.

RECIPE

Vegetarian Eggplant Casserole

1lb eggplant (a little less or a little more okay)

Salt

3 large, ripe tomatoes

6 oz sliced mozerella cheese

1/2 cup olive oil

3 cups sliced sweet onions

3 cloves garlic, minced

Freshly ground pepper

3 Tb freshly choppped basil or 2 tsp dried

Wash eggplant; do not peel. Remove cap and slice off the other

end. Quarter eggplant lengthwise. Slice each quarter again into

lengthwise 1/4-3/8 inch pieces. Salt the slices and let drain for

30 minutes. Core the tomatoes, halve, and thinly slice. Cut the

cheese into 6 x 1 and a half-inch pieces.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil, and saute` the onions and garlic

until the onions are soft without browning either the onions or

the garlic, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Pat eggplant dry,

and brown the slices, a few at a time, using most of the remaining

oil. Salt and paper the slices. Lightly oil a 9 x 6-inch 2 quart baking

dish. Spread half the onions and garlic on the bottom of the pan and

sprinkle with half the basil. Starting at one end of the dish, arrange

alternate standing layers of 1 slice of eggplant, skin side up, 2 or 3

slices tomato (as best fits across eggplant) and then a slice of

cheese against the tomatoes. Repeat these three rows, working

down the baking dish. When all have been fitted in, top with the

remaining basil and onions & garlic. Cover the dish tightly and bake

for 40 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven. Serves 4.

BOXES/BASKETS:

REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR BOXES, BASKETS AND GPF PRODUCE BAGS TO REUSE THIS WEEKEND!

KINDLY REMINDERS:

*CHECK OUT ROBIN'S RECIPE BOOK AT PICK UP TIME; YOU MAY TAKE ANY THAT YOU'D LIKE!

*REMEMBER TO CHECK THE MEMBER SHEET WHEN YOU COME TO PICK UP

*PLEASE EMAIL OR CALL A DAY AHEAD OF TIME FOR ANY OF THE ABOVE REQUEST ITEMS

*PLEASE EMAIL OR CALL TO LET US KNOW IF SOMEONE ELSE IS GOING TO PICK UP FOR YOU. PLEASE INCLUDE THEIR NAME & PHONE NUMBER SO I CAN CONTACT THEM IF NEEDED. IF YOU CANNOT ARRANGE FOR SOMEONE TO PICK UP FOR YOU, WE ARE SORRY BUT WE CANNOT "SAVE" YOUR SHARE FRO THE FOLLOWING WEEK'S PICK UP--WE WANT TO PROVIDE ONLY FRESH PRODUCE FOR YOU! WE ALSO CANNOT DOUBLE YOUR SHARE FOR THE NEXT WEEK IF YOU MISS THE PREVIOUS WEEK. WE APPRECIATE YOU UNDERSTANDING. THANK YOU!

*STAY A BIT IF YOU'D LIKE. YOUR PETS ARE WELCOME, TOO. WE JUST ASK THAT YOU KEEP THEM WITH YOU AND IN THE FRONT YARD, AWAY FROM THE CHICKENS IN THE FIELD, AS THEY SCARE EASY. THANK YOU.

SEE YOU THIS WEEKEND!