Wednesday, July 28, 2021

July 29, 2021 - This Week's Box Contents, Featuring Eggplant!

 

Cooking With This Week's Box


Easy Roasted Carrot Curry
photo from veggiedesserts.com
Holy cow, we’re closing out another month this week!  While I don’t want summer to slip through my fingers, August will mean more tomatoes, melons, watermelons and sweet peppers so bring it on!  This week we’re featuring eggplant.  I have to say, this year’s crop of eggplant is one of the most beautiful and productive crops we’ve had in quite awhile.  Despite the fact that we’ve been harvesting pretty substantial quantities, we’ve barely even made a dent in the crop!  I realize eggplant is one of those vegetables that some love and others are still learning to like.  If you’re on the latter end of the spectrum, I encourage you to keep an open mind and give it a try.  This week I’ve included two simple recipes utilizing eggplant.  First, Andrea Bemis’s recipe for Roasted Garlic, Eggplant & Miso Dip (See Below) is somewhat of a riff on the concept of a traditional Baba Ganoush which is a classic roasted eggplant dip.  Andrea varies this concept by adding miso and seasoning it with rice vinegar.  The vinegar is a key ingredient that helps to “wake it up.”  This is a simple dip to serve with carrot or pepper sticks, or spread it on bread, pita, or crackers for a quick snack.  The other recipe, Zucchini Lemon Orzo with Eggplant & Lemon (See Below) is for a simple pasta dish where the eggplant, along with zucchini, is grilled and then tossed with lemon, onions and orzo pasta.  If you aren’t familiar with orzo pasta, you can find it in the pasta section at your grocery store or you can substitute any other small pasta variety.

Slow Cooker Chipotle Corn Chowder
photo from karalydon.com
Is anyone else excited to have fresh sweet corn in the box this week?!  During sweet corn season we eat fresh corn nearly every day.  Sometimes just as buttery corn on the cob, but often I cut it off the cob and slip it into other recipes.  This week I’ve included a recipe for Melissa Clark’s Creamy (No Cream!) Corn Pasta with Basil and Slow Cooker Chipotle Corn Chowder.  You might also enjoy checking out this collection of 25 Fresh Corn Recipes.

If you missed last week’s Thai Basil Vegetable Feature,
I encourage you to check it out.  If you’re looking for a simple, refreshing way to use this herb, consider making our featured recipe for Thai Basil Lemonade.  It is so delicious and very easy to make.  If you can let it set for 24 hours before straining it, the flavor is even better!

As I wrap up this week’s Cooking With the Box, I’ll give you a little glimpse into what’s coming up next.   Our second crop of cucumbers are just starting to produce, so they’ll be more crispy cucumbers coming your way.  Our first crop of edamame is filling out and it looks like we’ll be picking them next week!  Richard has been checking in on the melon and watermelon crops.  Nothing is ready yet, but it won’t be long!  We also have our eyes on the jalapeno peppers and have our fingers crossed for more ripe tomatoes very soon!

Enjoy your week, eat well, and enjoy summer while you can! —Chef Andrea

Vegetable Feature: Eggplant

By:  Chef Andrea Yoder

Description: Eggplant, a member of the nightshade family, is one of the most beautiful crops we grow.  The plants grow several feet tall and, in their peak, are loaded with beautiful, glossy fruit hanging heavy on the plant.  There are many varieties of eggplant ranging in size from small round eggplant the size of a golf ball to large globe eggplant weighing over a pound.  They come in a variety of colors ranging from various shades of purple to black, green, lavender, white and orange.  We have narrowed our lineup of eggplant to our four favorite varieties including Lilac Bride, Purple Dancer, Listada and the traditional Black eggplant.  Each variety has slightly different characteristics which may impact your decision as to how you want to prepare them.  
  • Black Globe Eggplant: This is the most familiar variety of eggplant. It is characterized by a dark purple skin that looks black. It is best used in dishes like Eggplant Parmesan or to make dips, etc. This variety will also hold up on the grill or if roasted.
  • Lilac Bride Eggplant: Lilac bride eggplant is long and slender with lavender to dark purple skin and white flesh. It is best used in Thai curry dishes, stews or any other preparation where you want the eggplant to hold its shape better. The skin is tender enough you don’t need to peel it.
  • Listada Eggplant: Listada is characterized by a small globe shape with dark purple/ magenta skin streaked with white stripes. It has dense “meaty” flesh that holds up very well with grilling or roasting. 
  • Purple Dancer Eggplant: This superb variety is characterized by an elongated tear drop shape and a bright purple skin. Purple Dancer eggplant is an all-purpose eggplant that has creamy, white flesh. It is firm enough that it keeps its shape if you grill it or use it in curries, soups or stews. The flesh is also soft enough when cooked to use in dips, etc.
Chocolate Eggplant Torte
Preparation & Use: Eggplant should be cooked before eating it.  In fact, this is one vegetable that you may want to slightly overcook to ensure the flesh is very soft and silky as this is when it is the best.  You can pan-fry, bake, grill or roast eggplant.  Many resources will tell you to salt eggplant before cooking it to remove bitterness.  While some older varieties were bitter, the new varieties we grow have been selected because they are not bitter, thus you can skip the salting step for that reason.  You may still choose to salt eggplant to soften the flesh so it doesn’t absorb too much oil.  Most of our varieties of eggplant have skin that is tender enough to eat, thus you do not need to peel them.

Since eggplant is part of so many cultures, there are a lot of ways you can use eggplant in your cooking.  It is often incorporated into curry and stir-fry dishes in Indian, Thai, and Chinese cuisine.  Sicilians are famous for eggplant caponata while Middle Eastern dishes include baba ganoush.  The French put their mark on eggplant with the traditional Provencal dish, ratatouille.

Salerno-Style Marinated Grilled Eggplant
Eggplant has a mild flavor and soft, silky texture when cooked, which is what makes it unique.  While it isn’t a predominant flavor, it has a texture such that it is able to absorb other flavors and pairs well with other vegetables including tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, potatoes and chickpeas.  It also goes well with flavorful olive oil, tahini, herbs such as basil and parsley and spices including cumin, coriander, sumac, and cinnamon.  It also goes well with dairy products including yogurt, cheese (feta, Parmesan and mozzarella), and cream and fruits including lemons and pomegranate.

Storage: Eggplant does not store terribly well, so it is best to use it soon after getting it.  It is best stored at a temperature of about 45-50°F, but your home refrigerator should be colder than this.  Thus, we recommend storing your eggplant on the kitchen counter and use it within 2-4 days.

Roasted Garlic, Eggplant and Miso Dip


photo from dishingupthedirt.com
Yield:  6-8 servings

1 head of garlic, cloves broken up but kept in their skins
5 cups peeled and diced eggplant      (1-inch chunks)
Cooking fat for roasting (ghee, olive oil, or oil of choice)
3 Tbsp white miso
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
3-4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  1. Salt and black pepper, to taste
  2. Preheat the oven to 425°F.  Toss the eggplant and garlic cloves with oil.  Place them on a sheet pan or two and roast in the oven until deeply golden brown and completely soft, about 35-40 minutes.
  3. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.  Squeeze the garlic out of its skins and put it in the bowl of a food processor along with the roasted eggplant, miso, rice vinegar, pepper flakes and parsley.  Process until smooth.  With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until you reach your desired consistency.  Taste and add salt, pepper and/or more vinegar as needed.
Recommendations for serving: “(This dip) is great for spreading onto a slice of toasted bread, pita, or naan for a sandwich or simply served with crackers and raw veggies for dipping.”

Recipe borrowed from Andrea Bemis at dishingupthedirt.com.

Note From Chef Andrea Yoder: If you are not familiar with miso, you can find it in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.  It’s typically near the tofu, tempeh, eggroll wrappers, etc.  It is usually in a glass jar or a plastic tub.  There are different varieties of miso, but white miso is generally the most mild flavored and is sometimes called “sweet white miso.”  If you can’t find that exact kind, use another mild flavored miso.  Miso stores for a long time in the refrigerator, so it’s worth the investment to get a container even if you only need 3 Tbsp for this recipe!  I have some miso in my refrigerator that I purchased over a year ago and it’s still good and usable!

Zucchini & Eggplant Lemon Orzo Pasta


photo from loveandlemons.com
Yield:  4 servings

½ cup dry, uncooked orzo pasta
½ cup finely diced scallions or onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tsp sherry vinegar*
1 tsp herbs de Provence*
Juice and zest of 1 lemon, plus 4 small wedges for serving
2 medium eggplants, sliced into ½-inch thick rounds
2 small zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
2 cups loose-packed fresh herbs (Italian or Thai basil, mint, etc)
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
2 Tbsp panko bread crumbs
½ tsp salt, divided, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  1. In the bottom of a large bowl, combine the scallions or onions, garlic, olive oil, sherry vinegar, herbs de Provence and ¼ tsp of salt.
  2. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.  Prepare the orzo pasta according to the instructions on the package, cooking until al dente.  Drain and immediately add the hot orzo to the bowl.  Stir in the lemon zest and set aside.
  3. Preheat a grill to high heat.
  4. Drizzle the eggplant and zucchini with olive oil on all sides, and sprinkle with ¼ tsp of salt and a few grinds of pepper.
  5. Grill the eggplant for 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until tender, charred and fully cooked.  Grill the zucchini for about 4 minutes per side, or until nice char marks form.  Let cool slightly, then chop into bite-sized pieces and add to the large bowl.  Add the lemon juice and toss.  Stir in the feta, fresh herbs, and pine nuts, reserving a bit of each for garnish.  Taste and adjust seasonings.
  6. Portion into 4 serving bowls and top with the breadcrumbs and remaining feta, herbs and pine nuts.  Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Recipe created by Jeanine Donofrio and featured on her blog, Loveandlemons.com.


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