I can't wait to eat this!

Let’s Talk About Food!

Welcome to Farm To Table Weekly where health is valued, community matters, and simple home cooking is replacing commodity foods.

Each and every week for the last few months when we decide what will be in the coming week’s Veggie Box and take the weekly photo, we think...shoot, this might be the best box ever.

I’m especially partial to this week’s box because of the eggplant.

I first had eggplant very late in my twenties when eating Indian food for the first time. I was like...what is this flavor that I can’t really place...I’m not sure I like it. Fast forward about twenty years and this is, hands down, one of my most favorite vegetables. Fresh eggplant is SO, SO, SO much better than the spongy eggplant I had before starting my first garden about 15 years ago. I love it roasted very simply as in the recipe in this week’s newsletter. Sadly, our kiddos don’t really like Indian food (yet!) or maybe I’m just not that good at making it. But what I am really really good at is taking 3-5 fresh ingredients and roasting them and enjoying them.

Speaking of food...let’s talk about food...specifically...this food...in this box.

The weather has definitely shifted and it is worth turning the oven on this week and roasting some of these lovely veggies. I can’t wait to make roasted carrots, beets, purple potatoes, and red onions. I’m looking forward to a big bowl of salad topped with tomatoes, cucumbers, and chives. And I always think, I’d love to make a quiche, and instead I saute veggies on Sunday and add them to my morning eggs all week. This week I’ll be doing a mix of finely chopped red onions with carrot tops and beet greens. I’ll also be roasting a simple dish of eggplant and tomatoes with mozzarella. So good! Also, I can’t wait to make the shishito peppers. They are such a delicious specialty vegetable.

Partial shares get all the same veggies in ½ – ¾ amounts.

Veggie Box week 14:

• Carrots with tops-Are you a bit overwhelmed with the amount of greens in your box this week? Try zapping your carrot tops with olive oil and freezing in ice cube trays and freezing in freezer bags for the winter.
• Red Beets with tops-These beets are delish and the tops are gorgeous. I’m going to saute my beet greens with red onions for a delicious addition to breakfast eggs this week.
• Basil-The basil is starting to slow down for the year, but there is just enough for topping a dish this week. I’m going to use mine to top that fabulous roasted eggplant!
• Potatoes- “All Blue”-Why are they called all blue when they are purple? I don’t know, but I do know they do not make pretty mashed potatoes! They lose a lot of their amazing color when boiled, so I suggest roasting! This is my second favorite potato in all the land! (My favorite it coming soon...the French heirloom potatoes!). These are a super delicious and very dense potato. I love them quartered and roasted with generous oil and salt.
• Lettuce Mix
• Shishito Peppers - These magic peppers taste like absolutely nothing at all...until you magically heat up a skillet and a bit of oil and salt and saute them on high heat for 5 minutes...and they are transformed into The Best Side Dish Ever.
• Chives-Just right for topping just about anything. You can keep your chives upright in a jar on the counter top and grab a few as you need them all week long
• Tomatoes-remember to be careful with your tomatoes when taking them out of your veggie box, and to transport them home with care and store them on your counter until eating them.
• Eggplant-Even though the eggplant has a tough outer skin, store it in a plastic bag in the fridge until cooking.
• Red Onions-These beauties are fresh. Store them either on the countertop or in a bag in the fridge until you cook them up.
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini-The zucchini got pretty beat up in the windstorm last Saturday. We usually are harvesting 600 pounds a week this time of year and last week only had 250 pounds . Hopefully the plants will recover, but if not your box will just have 1 large or 2 small zucs for full shares and 1 small for partials...fingers crossed for a zucchini rebound.

Recipe of the Week: Mandy’s Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes Ingredients: Eggplant, Peeled Tomatoes Red onion Mozzarella cheese, shredded Fresh basil, julienned Olive oil Sea salt Directions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cube eggplant and tomatoes and dice the red onion. (Amounts and ratios can be up to you.) Put the bounty of chopped veggies into a casserole dish and drizzle with olive oil, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are softened and beginning to brown. Sprinkle some shredded mozzarella (or cheese of your choice) on top and some fresh basil. Roast for another 5-10 minutes to melt the cheese.

Recipe of the Week: Shishito Pepper, Shrimp and Pineapple Skewers (From earthlydelightsblog.com) Ingredients: 24 shishito peppers 32 large shrimp, shelled 1 small fresh pineapple, cleaned & cut into 3/4 inch thick wedges Sweet chili sauce for brushing 8 bamboo or metal grilling skewers Directions: Prep the grill and preheat to medium high. If using bamboo skewers, soak them in cold water for at least 30 minutes. Assemble the skewers by threading on a shrimp, followed by a shishito pepper, then a chunk of pineapple. Repeat, ending with a shrimp. You should have a total of 8 skewers when done. When the grill is hot, brush both sides of the skewers with a little sweet chili sauce, then put them on the grill. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes, then turn the skewers, moving them around the grill to ensure even cooking. Brush with additional sweet chili sauce each time you turn them. When the shrimp are opaque and the shishito peppers are slightly charred, remove the skewers from the grill. Serve with steamed rice and extra sweet chili sauce on the side.

Have a great week,

Jay, Mandy, and the LVF Crew​

P.S. Lots of folks have been asking at pickup ... 'How many weeks are left in Veggie Box?' Veggie box goes through the end of September. This is week 15 and we go to week 20 :).