Week 5

Vegetable List

Astro Arugula
Booya Broccoli
Napa Cabbage
Swiss Chard
Cucumb'o'rama
Magic White Finger Eggplant
Curly Kale
Lacinato Kale
Kossak Kohlrabi
Lincoln Leeks
All The Head Lettuce
Gold Frill Mustard Greens
Bell Peppers
Mystery Hot Peppers
White Ice Scallions
Spoon Spinach
Some Sungolds
PYO Herbs
A Few PYO Flowers

Notes from the Farm

A leek is just a mild onion... sort of. Use it like onion. I purposely plan for Leeks to come this early, well before potato season, so that they all don't end up as potato leek soup... leeks are great any way you'd use an onion, but sweeter and more elegant.

Our eggplants are culinary varieties... you don't need to peel or salt them. These eggplants are not at all like the industrial eggplants most folks are used to... The Magic White Finger are long and sweet, and while they do take a little more handling, you can do anything you would do with eggplant with them... roast them, halve them, pan sear, cut into little rounds and mixed with olives and capers... it's a magical little eggplant.

Kind of riding the coat-tales of last week's newsletter, I'd love to encourage you to think about the food you're getting here differently than you might otherwise... give the food the opportunity to sing in a different key, play a different role in the band.

We're on the edge of everything letting loose on the farm... it's time to embrace the madness.

Recipes

Roasted Eggplant Sandwich with Soy-Lime Glaze

2 medium eggplants (1 ½ pounds total), stems trimmed, cut crosswise into 1-inch rounds (about 12 slices)
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
5 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and julienned
2 radishes, julienned
1 mini cucumber, thinly sliced
1 loaf soft French bread
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
½ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves or small sprigs

Sprinkle eggplant slices generously with salt; arrange on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Let stand 30 minutes, then pat dry with paper towels. In a bowl, stir together soy sauce, lime juice, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, and garlic.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Arrange eggplant in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush both sides of eggplant with oil. Roast, flipping halfway, until golden brown and very tender, about 30 minutes. Brush both sides of eggplant with soy mixture; continue roasting until caramelized, 7 to 10 minutes more.
Meanwhile, toss together carrot, radishes, cucumber, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 4 tablespoons vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar.
Slice bread into quarters and halve lengthwise. Spread mayonnaise on cut sides and top with roasted eggplant, pickled vegetables, jalapeño, and cilantro. Serve immediately.


Roasted-Eggplant Dip with Greek Yogurt

3 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds)
1 small garlic clove, minced
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
½ cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)

Using tongs, cook eggplants one at a time over the flame of a gas burner (or a grill), turning as skin chars and bubbles, until completely soft, about 15 minutes. (If eggplant doesn't soften, finish cooking on a baking sheet in a 375-degree oven.) Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Peel off charred skin and discard. Coarsely chop the eggplants, and place in a colander to drain, about 1 hour. Finely chop, and transfer to a bowl.
Using a chef's knife, press flat side of blade back and forth across garlic and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to make a paste. Mix into eggplant. Stir in oil. Mix in yogurt and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. (Dip can be refrigerated, for up to 1 day.) Drizzle with oil before serving.

Onion-and-Leek Focaccia

Unbleached bread flour, plus more for dusting
4 ¾ cups unbleached bread flour
2 ¼ cups warm water (about 110 degrees)
¾ teaspoon active dry yeast (not rapid-rise; from 1 ¼-ounce envelope)
⅓ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 medium onions, halved and sliced ½ inch thick
1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
3 leeks, white and light green parts only, roots untrimmed
1 bunch fresh chives
1 bunch fresh rosemary, small sprigs only
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Place flour in bowl of mixer; mix water and yeast: Add flour to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. In a liquid-measuring cup, stir together water and yeast until yeast is dissolved.
Mix yeast mixture with flour; cover and let stand: Add yeast mixture to flour and mix on medium speed until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk and bubbling, about 2 hours.
Caramelize onions: In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-low. Add onions and slowly cook until dark golden and caramelized, about 45 minutes. Let cool.
Mix onions into dough: Add salt and onions to dough and mix on low speed 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium and mix 30 seconds (dough should be loose and sticky).
Fold dough: Using a dough scraper, turn dough out onto a well-floured surface. Fold bottom edge of dough up toward center of dough and pat gently to deflate. Fold top edge down toward center, overlapping bottom edge slightly and pat gently. Repeat folding process 8 to 9 times, tapping off excess flour as you work (dough will be difficult to handle, but try not to incorporate too much flour).
Place dough in bowl and leave to rise: Gently transfer dough to a large bowl, seam-side down. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Repeat folding: Turn dough out again onto a well-floured surface; repeat folding process. Return dough to bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, 1 hour more.
Place pizza stone in oven and preheat oven: Place a pizza stone on floor of a gas oven with racks removed or bottom rack of an electric oven. Preheat oven to 450°F at least 45 minutes (425 degrees if using a convection oven).
Prep leeks and herbs: Slice leeks lengthwise 1/4 inch thick. Rinse well and pat dry. Coat leeks, rosemary, and chives with 1 tablespoon oil.
Prep baking sheet and spread dough in pan: Use remaining 1/3 cup oil to coat surface of a 13-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet. Turn dough out onto sheet, coating bottom with oil. Using oiled fingertips, push dough out toward edges of sheet. If dough starts to retract, let stand 5 minutes, then continue until it reaches edges of sheet.
Add leeks and herbs, cover and let stand: Arrange leeks, chives, and rosemary lengthwise on dough, pressing gently to adhere. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 45 minutes, occasionally pressing dough toward edges.
Add salt and more oil if needed: Liberally sprinkle dough with flaky salt. Dough should be well oiled; if necessary, drizzle with up to 2 tablespoons more oil.
Bake:
Bake, rotating halfway through, until bottom is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Immediately slide focaccia out of pan onto a wire rack. Drizzle with any reserved oil in pan and sprinkle with more flaky salt. Let cool slightly. Foccacia may be served warm or at room temperature.


Scalloped Potatoes with Leeks

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish
2 leeks, trimmed, thinly sliced, and rinsed well (about 1 cup)
6 russet potatoes (2 ½ pounds), peeled and thinly sliced
½ teaspoon coarse salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded (about 3 cups)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 12-cup baking dish. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add leeks, and cook until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. 
Arrange 1/3 of the potatoes in dish, slightly overlapping slices. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the salt, 1/2 of the nutmeg, and pepper, followed by 1/2 of the leeks and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat. Top with remaining potatoes in a spiral. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Combine cream and stock. Pour over cheese and potatoes. Cover with parchment and foil. (Mixture can be refrigerated overnight.)
Bake for 30 minutes. Increase temperature to 425 degrees, uncover, and cook until top is golden brown and potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes. Let rest for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.