August 19, 2011

NU-WAY FARM CSA
News from the Farm this Week:
August 19th, 2011

This Week You'll Receive the Following:

Heirloom tomatoes
Eggplant
Basil
Beets
Peaches
Peppers
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Broccoli

Penne with Eggplant, Roasted Tomatoes, Basil & Fresh Mozzarella

This dish chatters about summer—it is best with the beautifully ripe local tomatoes we’re receiving this week. Don’t be freaked out by the anchovies, which will melt into this dish and add an almost smoky component that is essential.

Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant, sliced into ¼ inch thick rounds
Olive oil
4 medium tomatoes, cored and sliced in half at the equator
4 anchovies
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tsp. capers
1 small onion, minced
Salt & Pepper
1/3 pound ball of fresh mozzarella, diced into ¼ inch cubes
2 T. basil, thinly sliced

Method:
Lightly salt eggplant rounds and toss in a colander; let drain for 20 minutes. Rinse momentarily and dry well with a towel, then chop into ½ inch pieces. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss tomato halves in a bowl with a drizzle of good quality olive oil and a little salt & pepper. Place tomato halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool so you can peel off the skins. Drain off any liquid and reserve it in a measuring cup. Chop tomatoes coarsely.

Bring a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Cook one pound of penne according to directions. Meanwhile, heat 2 T. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggplant pieces and sauté until eggplants are lightly browned on all sides (this means not stirring them too often; add a little more olive oil if the pan gets too dry), about 8 minutes. Remove the eggplant and add a bit more olive oil to the pan, then sauté onions with a pinch of sugar for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add anchovies and stir, mashing them with a wooden spoon into a paste. Add garlic and capers and sauté an additional two minutes. Reduce heat to low and add roasted tomatoes and any reserved tomato liquid along with the eggplant.

Add cooked penne to the skillet and toss to combine ingredients. Right before serving, toss in the cubed mozzarella and basil.



Imam Bayilde

[pictured above....from the island of Serifos]
This famous Levantine dish was originally created for an Ottoman Imam who commanded his chef to make him a delicious eggplant dish. When the Imam tasted what he came up with, he fainted (the title of the dish translates as “the Imam fainted”), either because it was so delicious or because he found out how much olive oil it contained. Slow-cooking at its best and very healthy.

Ingredients:

One large eggplant
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
One large tomato, thinly sliced at the equator
½ cup simple tomato sauce
1 T. tomato paste
Cinnamon
Flat-leaf parsley, minced
Salt and pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil

Method:

Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and salt them generously; allow to drain in a collander.

Meanwhile sauté onion, green pepper, and garlic together over medium high heat with a pinch of salt and pepper. Let them wilt completely and begin to brown, then add 1/2 cup of tomato sauce (or four crushed tomatoes), a pinch of cinnamon, and a handful of minced parsley. Cook for two minutes, then remove from heat and allow to cool.

Rinse the eggplants and pat them dry, then fry them flesh-side down in a hot pan with a generous amount of olive oil until the flesh is quite brown. Then turn and saute on the skin side until the eggplant begins to soften when you press on it with a wooden spoon.

Transfer the cooked eggplant to a baking dish. Place the eggplants flesh side up. Top with the tomato/pepper mixture. Then lay the fresh tomato and lay slices over the top.

Dilute the tablespoon of tomato paste in one cup of water and pour around the eggplants. Bake at 400 degrees for thirty minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and bake another 30 minutes, until the eggplants are very soft. Serve hot or at room temperature with good crusty bread


Instant Tomato-Ricotta ‘Soup” with Capers
From Melissa Clark

2 fat ripe tomatoes (about 1 pound), cored and cubed
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1.5 T. fresh chopped basil
Large pinch coarse sea salt (fleur de sel is a good choice)
2 teaspoons capers.
1/2 cup top-quality ricotta, lightly broken into clumps

In a medium bowl combine tomatoes, oil, basil and salt. Let sit 5 minutes. Gently scatter ricotta on top. (Do not stir in.) Garnish with capers, and serve.