By Sarah
What a gift to have real rain yesterday! I could not resist standing out in it and getting soaked.
July and August are two of my favorite months on the farm. The winds have mellowed, most mornings we are blessed with a thick fog blanket that gives way to sunshine, and there tend to be less heat waves. While we are often swimming in weeds and worried about languishing crops, there is a bit of a pause between the large spring plantings and the fall harvests..
CSA barn hours:
Summer: 2:30-6:30 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in March)
Winter: 2:30-6 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in November)
Pick List:
Eggs
Red Gold New Potatoes
Elyse Yellow and Red Long Fresh Onions
Alto Leeks
Parade Scallions
Rhonda Beets
Yaya carrots
Hakeuri Turnips
Pink Beauty Radish
Polaris Fennel
Dark Star, Cocozelle, and Yellowfin Zucchini
Mideast Peace and Silver Slicer Cucumbers
Shimoda, Purple Shine, and Diamond Eggplant
Glow and Cornito Rosso Sweet Peppers
Caiman and Galahad Tomatoes
Farao and Caraflex Green Cabbage
Dazzling Blue Kale
Champion Collards
Ruby Red Chard
Lettuce
Parsley, Cilantro, and Dill
Tea Blends and Ground and Whole Chiles (Please bring your own containers!)
Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries
Pick your own flowers and herbs; padron and shishito peppers; tomatillos (all in the same field-ask us for directions!)
Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)
Starts available in the shade tunnel (Please only take starts from area in between the two signs!)
Grilled Eggplant with Beet Relish and Tahini Sauce, from dishingupthedirt.com
Beet Relish
2 medium sized beets, quartered
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
3 scallions, finely chopped, white and pale green parts only
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped dill
salt and pepper
Tahini Sauce
1 clove of garlic, minced
3 1/2 Tablespoons tahini
3 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons water + additional to thin if necessary
2 teaspoons honey
1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
pinch of salt and pepper
Eggplant
1 1/2 pounds eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds (about 2 medium sized eggplants)
3 tablespoons high heat cooking oil or melted ghee
salt
1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Prepare the beet relish by covering the quartered beets in a saucepan with enough water to cover them by 3 inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until tender. About 20 minutes. Drain the beets and when cool enough to handle roughly chop them into small pieces. Add the beets to a bowl and toss with the vinegar, oil, garlic, scallions, parsley, dill, salt and pepper.
Prepare the dressing by combining all the ingredients and whisking until smooth. This works best with an immersion blender or small food processor for the creamiest consistency. Taste test and adjust as needed.
Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high. Toss the eggplant slices with the oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill until lightly charred and tender. About 5-6 minutes per side. Remove from the heat.
Add the eggplant slices to a platter or bowl and top with the beet relish, drizzle with tahini sauce and sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.