Full Sun Farm 12th Week!

It's high summer and we've got a box from our CSA to prove it! Other interests - mainly summer fun - have left me with little time for the computer and blogging, but I love the bounty we get from our CSA so much that I feel compelled to share it here! I hope you are enjoying wonderful seasonal and local fare, too!





What's in the Box:

Red and Green Leaf Lettuce
Summer Squash
Carrots
Green Peppers
Eggplant
Green Beans
Red and Heirloom Tomatoes
Potatoes
Basil

Notes from the farm:

The green peppers in your box would turn red if left on the plant, but in this climate they often succumb to disease before they fully mature. As such, it is rare that we have enough red peppers for the CSA. I like to eat the green peppers cooked and stuffed, as in this recipe from Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone:

2 bell peppers, halved lengthwise
2 tbsp butter
1 bunch scallions, including the greens, thinly sliced
2-1/2 to 3 cups corn kernels
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
4-5 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, or 1 cup grated cheddar or monterey jack
2 tbsp finely sliced basil leaves
2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
salt and freshly milled pepper
paprika

Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly butter a baking dish just large enough to hold the peppers. If the peppers won't stand upright, slice them lengthwise in half, leaving the stem end intact. Steam them for 5 minutes and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the scallions, corn, and tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes over medium heat. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese, basil, and half the bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper. Fill the peppers and top with remaining bread crumbs. Set them in the prepared dish, add a few tablespoons water to the dish, cover, and bake until the corn is hot and the peppers are cooked, about 25 minutes. Uncover and brown the tops under the broiler. Dust with paprika and serve.


And here's a lovely idea for an eggplant pancake - one of our farmers adapted the recipe from Almost Vegetarian:

1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp yogurt
1/2 pound eggplant, roasted, peeled and chopped
2 scallions, sliced
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

To roast the eggplant, pierce several times with the tines of a fork and place them on a tray under the broiler. Broil until the skin buckles, 4 to 6 minutes. Carefully turn them over and broil another 3 to 5 minutes. When they have cooled, strip the skin, chop the pulp and transfer to a mixing bowl.

In another large bowl, whisk together the egg, flour, and yogurt until smooth. Stir in the eggplant, scallions, and sesame seeds until well blended. Heat a nonstick griddle over medium heat. When hot, add the eggplant batter 1/4 cup at a time. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the bottom has browned, about 7 minutes. Turn over and cook to brown the other side. Serve warm.