CSA WEEK 6

Vegetable List
Oh Boy, Beets!
Carrots
Collard Greens
Allure Bi Color Sweet Corn
Cucumborama
Beatrice Eggplant
Fairytale Eggplant
Ailsa Craig Onion
Bell of a Pepper
Sungolds
Tomatoes
One Measly Zucchini or Summer Squash

Notes from the Farm
A brotherhood is a hell of a thing... brotherhood, sisterhood, sorority, fraternity, mongrel horde... whatever you want to call it... you know, that feeling you get when you're in a group of folks that operates with a quiet collective understanding... that feeling of simultaneously being nurtured and nurturing, being in an ultimate form of family...
I'm a dyed in the wool introvert. I love my alone time, I thrive on it really... but the human scene is a social scene, and there is no way of avoiding the need for a brotherhood (I'm using brotherhood here because it's true to my experience... feel free to swap the concept that works for you). I don't know if it's true for everyone, but I get all weird if my nurtured/nurture ratio is way out of wack. There are times when I need a little more support than I can give, and there are times when I've got excess stores of support to dole out... but on the whole, I tend to get all psychically garbled when I feel like I'm taking more than I'm giving, or the when I get caught in the inverse. And maybe that's one of the reasons I love alone time, when I'm alone, I'm not worried about taking to much or giving to little.
But no person is an island...
We're fortunate to be a part of so many familial scenes... our farmer scene, the customer scene, the town scene, all the scenes. We are, for some reason, well buffered in our lives here on the farm... we are well taken care of by our collective brotherhoods. I feel like I get that knowing look from people every day... that look of compassion and support, of gratitude and benevolence.
There are a lot of different kinds of people that pass through this farm... a huge diversity of politics, life choices, life experience... and it all kind of works, everything kind of melts away, here in this place, around the corn table, we're all kind of in this brotherhood of farm... this sorority of the most basic joy... a familial bond of pure humanism.
So thank you... and don't peel your eggplant.

Recipes
Eggplant Caviar
Purple-globe eggplant
1/4 cup minced onion
2 tomatoes, seeded, finely chopped
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Pita or rye bread, for serving
1. Roast eggplants: Using a wooden skewer, pierce eggplants all over. Turn two gas burners or a gas grill to high flame; place one eggplant on each. Cook, turning with tongs as each side blackens and softens, until skins are completely black and flesh is falling-apart tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from flame; transfer to a nonreactive baking dish. Place one end of dish on a slant so that the juices can run from the eggplants. When cool enough to handle, peel away all blackened skin.
2. Place eggplant flesh in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until pureed. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in the onion, tomatoes, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature with pita or rye bread.

Hoisin-Glazed Eggplant \
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 baby eggplants (1 1/4 pounds) or 1 large eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1-inch-thick slices and scored
Salt
Heat grill to medium. In small bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce and 1 tablespoon oil; set aside. Halve eggplants lengthwise; slice a bit off the skin side so they lie flat, and score both sides in a crisscross pattern.
Brush both sides of eggplant halves with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and season with salt. Grill until charred and tender, 4 to 7 minutes per side. Brush both sides generously with reserved hoisin mixture; grill each side again just to glaze, about 1 minute per side. Serve hot.


Garlic & Parmesan Collard Chips
Bunch fresh collards
5-6 clove garlic , minced
sea salt , to taste
3 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Remove stems from Collards. Chop into chunks and wash well
Place collardsin a large bowl. Toss with olive oil, sea salt, and garlic. 
Lay flat on a large baking sheet. For best results, don't overcrowd the baking sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 8 minutes. 
Stir and toss on baking sheet. Cook 8 more minutes, or until the edges are crisp and light brown. 
Remove from oven. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve warm or store in an airtight container to save.