Garden Patch Farm
CSA Newsletter #9
Hello Members,
It's definitely tomato
season here! Hopefully you are freezing them for the future.
A member gave us a
great idea for stuffed cabbage. She freezes the head of cabbage whole, then
when ready to use, she sets it out to defrost. This makes the leaves pliable
enough so you don't have to boil them before using to stuff! Just remove
leaves from head, and roll your stuffing up in them, then bake. I have yet
to try this--looking forward to it!
Did You Know?
In a typical year, more
than 10,000 new food items are introduced in grocery stores--mostly
processed, packaged convenience foods. Many CSA farms introduce people to
lesser-known crops such as fennel, tomatillos, and lemon cucumbers as well
as unique varieties of common vegetables such as yellow dragon beans, Rosa
Bianca eggplant, and Cherokee Purple heirloom tomatoes.
--Please remember
to check-off your name on the sign in sheet. Thank you.
This Week's
Picks
-Cabbage-
-Banana Peppers-
-Cherry Tomatoes-
-Eggplant-
-Hot Peppers-
-Kale-
-Okra-
-Potatoes-
-Tomatillos-
-Tomatoes-
Tim is taking requests
for the VERY large-leaved cabbage ("Late Flat Dutch" variety)--great for
stuffing. Let us know how many you want and he will have it picked for you.
The broccoli needs
another week to grow again.
The beans need 2-3
weeks to grow.
Done for the year:
cauliflower and garlic
We will not have:
cilantro, corn, dill, onions or winter squash. So sorry. I was really
looking forward to our very tasty butternut squash!
You-Cut Herbs
-Same as last week and
all tagged in the field for you.
You-Cut Flowers
-Black-Eyed Susan-
-Cosmos-
-Gladiolas- (some)
-Sunflowers-
-Zinnias-
Available to
Purchase
-Local
Honey- (from
hives in Howell)
Available to
Order
We have 4 turkeys
available for you to order out of the 60 we are raising.
-Order your October
chickens now for winter stock up.
Nicola: Your CSA
cookbook is in. You may pick it up Friday with your produce. It is $16.00
total.
Red, White and Blue
Black Eggplant (Robin's favorite eggplant recipe)
1 lb eggplant
Salt
3 large, ripe tomatoes
6 oz sliced mozzarella
cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cups sliced onions
Freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp freshly chopped
basil or 2 tsp dried
Wash eggplant, but do
not peel. Remove the cap and slice off the other end. Quarter the eggplant
lengthwise. Then, slice each quarter again into lengthwise 1/4-3/8-inch
pieces. Salt the slices and let drain for 30 minutes on a platter. Core the
tomatoes, halve, and thinly slice. Cut the cheese into 6x1 1/2-inch pieces.
Heat 2 tbsp of the oil,
and sauté the onions until soft without browning, about 10 minutes. Remove
from heat and set aside. Pat the eggplant dry, and brown the slices, a few
at a time, using most of the remaining oil. Salt and pepper the slices.
Lightly oil a 9x6-inch 2-quart baking dish. Spread half the onions 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 eggplant, skin side
up, 2 or 3 slices tomato (as best fits across) and then a slice of cheese
against the tomatoes. Repeat these rows, working down the baking dish. When
all have been fitted in, top with the remaining basil and onions. Cover the
dish tightly and bake for 40 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven. (Serves
4)
-Double the
ingredients, and use a 9x12-inch baking dish.
Tips, Hints and
Ideas
For Eggplant--
--Salting and draining
eggplant cuts down on the eggplant's moisture and the amount of oi needed.
--Weighting down salted
eggplant speeds up the release of moisture.
--Top pasta with
sautéed eggplant.
--Stuff and bake
eggplant with your favorite rice and veggie stuffing (same as you use for
cabbage rolls even)
--Baked Whole
Eggplants for Stuffing
Use this method for
stuffed whole shells. It's handy for rounded eggplants.
Preheat oven to 400.
Bake eggplants 20-30 minutes, depending on size, until just barely tender.
Remove from oven and slice off the stem end just under the cap and set
aside. Scoop out the pulp with a sharp-edged spoon, leaving a 1/2-inch
thickness of pulp all around. Save pulp for a salad, puree, or stew. If you
wish, salt the inside of the eggplants and invert to drain. Wipe out the
interior, fill with stuffing, and bake upright, topped with the "caps" in a
preheated 400 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until heated through.
--Baked Halves for
Stuffing
Halve unpeeled eggplant
lengthwise and cross-cut the exposed flesh. Sprinkle with salt and drain,
flesh side down, for at least 30 minutes. Squeeze, and pat dry. Preheat oven
to 425 degrees. Run a knife around the skin 1/2-inch in from the edge. Scoop
out the flesh, fill with stuffing of your choice and brush with oil. Add a
little water to the pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until just barely tender.
--Topping for baked
eggplant: Sauté sliced onions and peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes until
moisture is removed; add a few sliced black olives. Spread on eggplant
slices, drizzle with oil, and brown under broiler.
If we do not get
an early frost, you may have produce up to the first weekend in November
(and then one weekend in December).
"DO NOT HOLD BACK GOOD
FROM THOSE TO WHOM IT IS OWING,
WHEN IT HAPPENS TO BE IN THE
POWER OF YOUR HAND TO DO IT"
--Proverbs 3:27--
We'll see you this
weekend,
Robin Leonard
~Garden Patch Farm~
Click
here for Newsletter Menu
