- Carrots or beets or beans
- Eggplant
- Sweet peppers
- Hot peppers
- Basil (whole plants! Make pesto this week! We made 15 jars to freeze)
- Cucumbers
- Summer squash
- Tomatoes
- Heirloom tomatoes
- Cherry tomatoes
- Onions
- Potatoes
Juvencio saw the ENT specialist and had his nose re-broken. He had to spend part of the week recuperating. Farm tasks have been put on hold. As we continue to clean and prep my mother’s house for sale there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done. Yesterday Juvencio helped me set up the farmers market booth and then raced back to complete farm tasks. After 8 hours at the market we went into Portland to continue work on my mom’s house. The truck is full of items to donate and a dump truck full of waste. We look forward to having this chapter behind us. We head back in today to load up more and prepare for the cleaners.
The hot and extremely dry weather has sparked fires and horrible air quality. Our plants are desiccated and our farm is under the eerie glow of an orange sun. We will be out there getting the harvest. We have cut the list some to make it go faster. Any help we can get will be much appreciated, wear a mask if you can tolerate it to help protect your lungs.
We have room in our winter share so send us your deposit. I know it seems like the veggies will never end, but winter is coming and you will want to have veggies in your fridge and on your tables. Winter is a time for roasted vegetables and warm soups. Join now to ensure your family has the very best all year long.
Recipes for this week:
Vegetable Tian
6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more
2 large white or yellow onions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. chopped thyme
1⁄4 tsp. crushed chile flakes
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 1⁄2 lb. small, firm eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 1⁄2 lb. ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Basil leaves, to garnish
Instructions
Put oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme, chile flakes, and garlic. Cook 2 minutes more.
Heat oven to 400°. Spread the cooked onion mixture in the bottom of a large earthenware baking dish, about 9 by 13 inches. Arrange the zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes in alternating rows: Start by making a row of overlapping zucchini slices, standing them vertically on edge. Follow with a row of eggplant, then a row of tomatoes in the same manner, packing the rows tightly together. Continue until the baking dish is filled. Sprinkle the surface of the vegetables generously with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.
Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and continue baking for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the vegetables are quite tender. Cool dish to room temperature to allow flavors to meld—the tian absolutely tastes best at room temperature. To serve, garnish with torn basil leaves.
Balkan Eggplant/Red Pepper Spread (Ajvar)
- 4 large red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and quartered
- large eggplant, trimmed and halved lengthwise
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Arrange the peppers and eggplant halves skin-side-up on the lined-baking sheet. Scatter the garlic around the vegetables, then drizzle with the olive oil and season lightly with salt. Bake until the peppers and eggplant are lightly charred, about 15 minutes. Set aside at room temperature to cool slightly.
- Transfer the cooled vegetables to a food processor and purée until smooth. Season to taste with more salt as needed. Use immediately or spoon the sauce into an airtight container, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.