CSA Week 9

Vegetable List

Oh Boy! Beets!
Brussel's Sprouts
Some Kind of Cabbage
Napa Cabbage
Mokum Carrots
Veronica Cauliflower
Rainbow Chard
Champion Collards
Eggplant'o'rama
Lacinato Kale
Muir Head Lettuce
Ailsa Craig Sweet Onions
Bell Peppers
Hot Peppers
Sungolds
Tomatillos
Tomatoes
PYO Herbs, Flowers, & Husk Cherries

Notes from the Farm

At that's the end of summer...
Was a weird one. A good one. A fun one... but weird as all get out.
It was wet, it was hot, it continues to be dry. Some of our stalwart veggies never came... I've never prayed so hard for zucchini in my life... legitimately prayed. Some things came hard... we've never had such great sungolds... they're not cracking, so sweet, super productive and looking to be just about perfect for the fall of the year.
And honestly, that's kinda the fun of it. I've talked about wrapping up my farming career essentially from my first season, and one day I will... one day I'll hit September and I feel like I'll know it's time... but I'm going to have to go out on a high note... a perfect season.
We've been close to a perfect season once or twice. But we've never had a season that's felt totally right... and maybe we won't get there... maybe there isn't such a thing. I'm holding on though.
You see, I don't think all this nonsense is about the journey, and I don't really think it's about the destination... I think it's something else... maybe when it folds back on itself into some kind of agricultural deja vu... but I might feel that already.
Hard telling.

Recipes

Ravioli with Roasted Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Capers

1 pound eggplant
1 ¼ pounds cherry tomatoes
1 shallot, thinly sliced
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
12 ounces store-bought cheese ravioli or spinach ravioli (can be fresh or frozen)
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 ½ ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (⅓ cup), plus more for serving
1 cup packed basil leaves, torn if large, plus more for serving

Preheat oven to 450°F. Peel eggplant in 1-inch stripes, leaving some skin on. Quarter lengthwise and slice into 1-inch pieces. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss eggplant, tomatoes, and shallot with oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring once, until tomatoes burst and eggplant is caramelized and tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook ravioli in a pot of salted water according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain. Return ravioli to pot along with eggplant mixture, capers, and enough reserved pasta water to create a silky sauce. Toss with cheese and basil. Serve, topped with more cheese and basil.


Tomatoes with Lightly Whipped Cream

½ cup heavy cream
Assorted tomatoes, such as cherry, heirloom, plum, or beefsteak
Flaky sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
Fresh basil leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil

Lightly whip cream in a cold bowl until soft peaks form (it'll take about a minute). Cut larger tomatoes into thick slices; halve smaller ones or leave them whole. Arrange them on a platter with dollops of cream and season with flaky salt and pepper. Top with basil and a splash of oil to serve.

Cherry Tomato Cobbler With Cheese Biscuit Crust

For the filling

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 pounds cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

For the biscuit topping

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Coarse salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese (2 ¼ ounces), plus 1 tablespoon, for sprinkling
1 ½ cups heavy cream, plus more for brushing

Make the filling: Heat oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let cool.
Toss onion mixture, tomatoes, flour, and red-pepper flakes with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and some pepper.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make the biscuit topping: Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or rub in with your fingers until small clumps form. Stir in cheese, then add cream, stirring with a fork to combine until dough forms. (Dough will be slightly sticky.)
Transfer tomato mixture to a 2-quart baking dish (2 inches deep). Spoon 7 clumps of biscuit dough (about 1/2 cup each) over top in a circle, leaving center open. Brush dough with cream, and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon cheese. Bake until tomatoes are bubbling in the center and biscuits are golden brown, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool for 20 minutes.