CSA Week 6

Vegetable List

Oh Boy! Beets
Booya Broccoli
Gonzales Cabbage
Raquel Sweet Corn
Cucumb'o'rama
Fairy Tale Eggplant
Mediterranean Eggplant
Orion Fennel
Lacinato Kale
White Russian Kale
Kossac Kohlrabi
Muir Head Lettuce
New Red Fire Lettuce
Ailsa Craig Sweet Onions
Bell Peppers
Hotties! Green Chile and Jalapenos
Sungolds
Tomatoes
Zucchini and/or Summer Squash
PYO Herbs
PYO Flowers

Notes from the Farm

This is the heart of the season... for anyone keeping score at home.
Getting up and through Casco Days is a big deal, a big push. Casco Days is important to this community, it's important to us. I think there is something about Casco Days that reminds us all to take a pause and consider how lucky we are to be here... it's not always easy, there is always hurt and loss, but ultimately, this community does a pretty good job of taking care of each other and Casco Days represents that as much as anything. It's a still point in our turning world.
And for us, it's a big push to get the seedlings grown and planted and tended and cultivated and to a place where we can hit that autopilot mode, and, as it turns out, Casco Days helps us with that too. Lots of people come around... old friends, new friends, friends of friends... there is a concentration of care and interest and festive energy that makes us have to jump up and get ready... Casco Day Weekend is intense for us... but what it really does is push us to our limits to get the farm in order to meet the needs of the community, and there is no second chance.
So Sunday, Monday, Tuesday of this week, we were catching our breaths, holding on tight, but honestly, recognizing that we have made it to the heart of the season... the community did the heavy lifting by providing us with the motivation to hit that next level... and now we can ride it for the next 3 or 4, 4 or 5 weeks into the fall... and yes, Fall starts on September 1st... so get to the beach, read that book on the lawn, enjoy a little frisbee with your friends. August is for us... and the bill will come due soon enough.


Recipes

Apple-Fennel Guacamole
1 medium fennel bulb, stalks and fronds cut off
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
1/2 medium apple (a crisp-texture one like Granny Smith works good here), peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 ripe, medium-large avocados
1 generous teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 large Green Chile, stemmed, seeded (if you wish) and finely chopped

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the fennel bulb in half, then cut each half in 3 wedges.  Lay them in a single layer in small baking dish, drizzle them with olive oil, measure in ¼ cup water, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt, cover with foil and slide into the oven.  Bake until the fennel is tender, about 1 hour. Cool. Remove the fennel to a cutting board, pull off any exterior layers that seem fibrous, cut out and discard the pieces of core that hold each wedge together, then chop the remainder into tiny pieces—the tinier the better here.
While the fennel is cooking, scoop the apple into a bowl, sprinkle it with the lime juice and toss to combine.  Refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.
Mash the avocado flesh in a large bowl: Cut the avocados in half, running a knife around the pit from top to bottom and back up again. Twist the halves in opposite directions to release the pit from one side.  Scoop out the pit, then scoop the flesh from each half. With an old-fashioned potato masher, large fork or back of a large spoon, coarsely mash the avocado.
Add the thyme, chopped green chile, apples (including all the lime juice) and half of the chopped fennel to the avocado, and stir to combine. (Refrigerate the remaining fennel to add to a salad or pasta dish.)  Taste and season with salt, usually about 1 teaspoon.  Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole and refrigerate until serving time.   When you’re ready for the guacamole, scoop it into a serving dish and sprinkle with the cheese.


Roasted Eggplant Salsa with Tomato, Red Onion, and Chipotle

1 pound (2 medium-large round or 4-5 plum) ripe tomatoes
1 medium red onion, cut into ½- inch-thick rounds
1 small (about ½ pound) eggplant
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 canned chipotles en adobe, stems removed
1 tablespoon chipotle canning sauce
About 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro
About 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice
Salt

Light a charcoal fire and let the coals burn until they are covered with gray ash, or heat a gas grill to medium. Lay the tomatoes, red onion, eggplant and garlic on the grill grate (use a perforated grill pan to keep the garlic from falling into the fire). Grill the vegetables, turning occasionally, until they are softened and blotchy-black all over. Timing will depend on the heat of your grill, but plan about 15 minutes for the garlic and onion, a little longer for the tomatoes and probably 30 minutes for the eggplant (which will probably have collapsed on itself by this point). Set the vegetables aside and let cool.
Peel the tomatoes (if you wish), chop them into roughly ¼-inch pieces and scoop them into a bowl. Chop the onion into ¼-inch pieces and add to the tomatoes.
Cut the eggplant in half and scrape out the flesh (leaving the charred skin behind) and scoop it into a blender jar. Peel the garlic, roughly chop it and add to the eggplant along with the chipotle chiles and the canning sauce. Blend until nearly smooth.
Add the eggplant mixture to the tomato and stir in as much cilantro and lime juice as you think the salsa needs. Season with salt—it usually needs about a teaspoon—and it’s ready to serve on practically anything grilled.

Golden Eggplant Tortas

1 medium (about 1 pound) globe eggplant
Salt
About 1/3 cup flour
2 large eggs
About 1 cup panko or other coarse bread crumbs
About 1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 telera rolls French rolls or submarine sandwich rolls (about 6 inches long, 3 inches wide)
About 1/2 cup fresh goat cheese
About 3/4 cup Chipotle Salsa
About 1 cup baby arugula
A generous sprinkling of Mexican queso añejo or other garnishing cheese like Parmesan or Romano

Cut and (if time permits) salt the eggplant. Lay the eggplant on the counter in front of you, stem pointing away, and cut a slice off each side about ½ inch in.  Cut off the stem end.  Cut what’s left lengthwise into 4 even slices—they will likely be about ½ inch wide.  In order to reduce moisture and possible bitterness in the eggplant, if time permits, salt it for a few minutes before breading and frying.  Sprinkle both sides of each slice with salt and let stand for about 20 minutes.  Pat dry on paper towels. 
Bread and fry the eggplant.  Set up the breading ingredients:  spread the flour on a plate, crack the eggs in a wide, flat bowl and whisk in ½ teaspoon salt, spread the breadcrumbs on another plate.  One at a time, dredge the eggplant slices on all sides with flour, dip all sides in the egg mixture, then lay in the breadcrumbs, pressing the crumbs all over the eggplant to coat it evenly.  Lay the finished eggplant on a baking sheet in a single layer.
Fry the eggplant and make the tortas.  Pour the oil into a very large (12-inch) skillet and set over medium-high heat.  (If you don’t have such a large skillet, you can fry the eggplant slices in a smaller skillet in batches.) While the oil is heating, turn on the oven to 300 degrees and slide in the teleras to crisp.  When the oil is hot enough to make an edge of an eggplant slice sizzle sharply, carefully lay them into the hot oil in a single layer.  Adjust the heat so that they fry vigorously, but don’t brown too quickly—it should take about 3 minutes to brown the bottom.  Use a spatula to carefully flip them over and cook the other side to a rich golden, about another 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels.  Slice open the crisp teleras, smear the goat cheese on the bottom, lay in the golden eggplant, spoon on a portion of the salsa, top with the arugula and queso añejo (if using), and set the top in place.  You’re ready to eat.  

Tomato “Carpaccio” with Tomatillo Salad, Avocado and Fresh Herbs

Dressing
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/4 cup (lightly packed) cilantro leaves
2 1/2 tablespoons light vinegar (like cava or rice wine vinegar)
1/4 cup good-quality olive oil (or unrefined corn or peanut oil)
Freshly ground black pepper, usually about 1/4 teaspoon, plus addition for the sliced tomatoes
Salt

Salad
About 1 cup Thinly sliced red onion (preferably the long, skinny
About 6 ounces tomatillos, (preferably the small purple tomatillos - about 6 of them), cut into eighths (about 1 cup)
About 6 ounces cherry tomatoes (preferably a mixture of red and yellow - about a dozen), cut in halves or quarters
4 to 6 medium-size ripe heirloom tomatoes, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 medium-sized avocado, pitted, flesh scooped from the skin and diced into 1/2-inch pieces

A generous tablespoon roughly chopped fresh herb (cilantro is an easy choice, but don't overlook basil, lemon balm, or anise hyssop - even arugula - or mixture of your favorites)
In a small, ungreased skillet over medium heat, roast the unpeeled garlic, turning regularly, until soft and blotchy black in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool until handleable, then peel off the paper skin. In a blender or food processor, combine the garlic, cilantro, vinegar, oil and pepper. Process until smooth, then taste and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon.
In a medium bowl, combine the onion, tomatillos and cherry tomatoes with 3 tablespoons of dressing. Let stand while finishing the salad, stirring from time to time.
On a very large platter, lay out the sliced tomatoes in as close to a single layer as possible.
Just before serving, dot the tomatoes with the avocado and sprinkle with the herbs and fresh-ground pepper (I like the pepper pretty coarse for the tomatoes). Drizzle with the dressing, then pile the tomatillo salad in the center, and your impressive tomato salad is ready to serve.