Week 14 Newsletter 2017

Hello Everyone,                        

We are on the home stretch of this year's CSA. It is hard to believe that there are only 3 weeks left of this season. The main garden is taking on a fall look and I did notice orange pumpkins in the garden this past week. The warm temperatures were welcomed which  helped the cantaloupe cross the finish line.

If you are planning to can/freeze or roast tomatoes, make tomato sauce or salsa......be sure to let me know. The Beyond the Bin will include 1/2 bushels of tomatoes and some of the other needed ingredients.

What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Macintosh Apples
Cantaloupe
French Melon
Sweet Peppers
Jalapeno Peppers
Tomatoes
Onions
Fingerling Potatoes
Eggplant

... and in your bucket:

Cantaloupe                                                     
Sweet Peppers
Tomatoes
Leeks/Onions
Eggplant

Here are a couple of recipes that include items from your bins/buckets this week.

Fresh Tomato Soup With Basil and Farro
 MELISSA CLARK  YIELD 6 small servings  TIME 1 1/2 hours

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed
1 ½ cups farro
3 large sprigs basil, stems and leaves separated
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 large leek, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
3 ¼ pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges
 Black pepper, to taste

PREPARATION

Pour 8 cups cold water and 1 1/2 tablespoons salt into a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat to medium, add the farro and basil stems, and cook until grains are tender but still a little chewy, about 25 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the leek and a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook leeks until soft, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 cup reserved cooking liquid. Bring to a simmer. Cook until the tomatoes have completely fallen apart, about 30 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, blender or food processor, purée the tomato mixture until smooth (you may have to do this in batches). Add half the farro and pulse until the grains are broken down and the soup is a chunky purée. Stir in the remaining farro. If the soup seems thick, add more cooking liquid. Taste and add more salt if needed. Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Drizzle with oil; top generously with black pepper and torn basil leaves.

Baked Eggplant

Allrecipe.com JEZZI16  Prep 15 min Cook 30 min Ready in 45 min

Ingredients:

cooking spray
1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
3 tomatoes,
sliced 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Prepare a baking dish with non-stick play.
Arrange eggplant and tomato slices into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables; season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the entire mixture.
Bake in preheated oven until the cheese is beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. Switch oven broiler to high; continue baking until completely browned, about 5 minutes.