Pick List:
Heirloom Tomatoes - Cherry Tomatoes - Orange Carmen - Red Carmen - Onion - Peaches! -
Zucchini - Summer Squash - Eggplant - Hungarian Hot Wax Pepper - Zinnias!!
KITCHEN SHARE: Pesto
YALL- OUR FALL CSA IS FAST APPROACHING, AND IF YOU’VE DONE THIS BEFORE YOU KNOW IT IS THE ACTUAL BEST. READ ON FOR MORE INFO:
WHO: this CSA is open to all seasonal food lovers
WHAT: FALL CSA... our most beloved CSA.
This year we intend to include fresh bread - fresh eggs - prepared foods (think pesto, salsa, soup, sauce, etc...) - a treat of local apples - along with our abundance of fall vegetables (root veggies, winter squash, etc..) - newsletter + recipes.
WHERE: at our FARM STAND up on 12A.
WHEN: Wednesdays, 5-6 p.m (and one Tuesday 5-6pm before Thanksgiving)
Beginning October 11- November 21
With a special end of season Holiday Pick-up on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST
HOW: We harvest, and prep, and bake- you arrive at the farmstand with a box or bag to collect your share.
WHY: Though the farmstand closes for business around Indigenous Peoples Day, we still have so much food in the fields- let's dig it, pick it, cook it, and eat it!
HOW TO SIGN UP
You can sign up for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, or 7 weeks.
COST PER WEEK: $44 COST FOR 7 WEEKS: $285 (savings of $23)
Sign up at the stand- bring check or cash!
TIPS - TRICKS - RECIPES:
(the following recipe is a bit more time consuming then i like to mess with this time of year- but I swear it is worth it)
STUFFED EGGPLANT WITH SUNFLOWER ROMESCO thefirstmess.com (Serves: 4)
Notes: If you want to keep this more traditional or “authentic” (not my fave word lol), use toasted almonds or even a mix of almonds and hazelnuts in place of the sunflower seeds.
-Romesco is good in a sealed jar in your refrigerator for 5-7 days. I dare you to even TRY making it last that long though. I love it with grilled/roasted vegetables, tossed with pasta and chickpeas and herbs, and swooped up with crusty bread.
-If you’re starting from scratch with this recipe and finishing it to the end, no need to wash the food processor out after you make the romesco. You’ll need it for the eggplant!
SUNFLOWER ROMESCO (makes extra):
½ cup toasted sunflower seeds 2 roasted sweet peppers (homemade or from a jar)
2 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon aleppo pepper, or a pinch of cayenne 2 tablespoons sherry OR apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste small handful flat parsley leaves
sea salt and ground black pepper scant ½ cup virgin olive oil
STUFFED EGGPLANT:
2 medium eggplants olive oil
sea salt and ground black pepper 1 small shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped ¼ cup romesco
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons tahini
4 servings cooked grain of choice (I used quinoa) toasted sunflower seeds or dukkah, for topping
big handful of fresh and leafy herbs, chopped (I used cilantro, parsley & a bit of dill)
Make the sunflower romesco: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the sunflower seeds, roasted red peppers, garlic, paprika, aleppo pepper, vinegar, tomato paste, parsley, salt, and pepper. Pulse the mixture until all ingredients are finely chopped and lightly pasty. Scrape the bowl down. Then, with the motor on low, drizzle the olive oil in through the feed tube until fully incorporated. Check the sauce for seasoning. Transfer sauce to a sealable jar, and set aside in the fridge until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, right through the stem. Using a paring knife, carve into the eggplant flesh all the way around the perimeter. Pry the eggplant flesh out of the eggplant halves with your fingers or a spoon and set it aside. Place eggplant halves on a baking sheet, facing up. Brush the eggplant halves with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake eggplant for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and lightly tender.
Roughly chop the scooped out eggplant. Heat a bit of oil in a medium-large saute pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant and slightly soft, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped eggplant, and season with salt and pepper. Stir. Saute the eggplant, stirring occasionally, until tender, browned, and slightly reduced in size, about 4 minutes.
Carefully transfer eggplant to the food processor. Add the ¼ cup of romesco, lemon juice, and tahini to the food processor as well. Pulse the mixture until you have a chunky paste.
To serve, divide the warm eggplant filling evenly among the eggplant “boats.” Then, spoon your cooked grain of choice on top along with a sprinkle of chopped herbs. Garnish the tops of the stuffed eggplants with more romesco and toasted sunflower seeds or dukkah. Enjoy warm.