Vegetables of the Week:
Peppers, Cantaloupe, Summer Squash,
Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Eggplant, Sweet Potatoes
This Week:
Farm Stand Camponata
Caponata dishes have a slight sweet-and-sour flavor. Adjust vinegar, salt and pepper to your taste.
INGREDIENTS
2 medium-sized eggplants cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons coarse (kosher) salt
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 diced (1/4 inch) red onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 pounds diced (1/2 inch) ripe plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt, to taste
1 cup diced (1/4 inch) celery hearts and leaves
1/3 cup pitted green olives, halved lengthwise
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons drained tiny capers
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste1. Toss the diced eggplant in a colan der with the salt. Let rest for 1 hour. Rinse eggplant lightly and blot with paper towels to remove excess water, then squeeze inside a kitchen towel. Set aside.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy pot over low heat. Add the onions; stirring occasionally, until softened, cook about 10 minutes. Add the garlic in the last 3 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and salt; stirring occasionally, sim mer for 20 minutes. Add the celery and simmer 10 minutes longer.
4. Line the bottom of a bowl with paper towels. In another heavy pot, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Brown the eggplants in batches, then remove to the lined bowl to drain.
5. Stir the eggplants into the toma to sauce along with the olives, vinegar, raisins, capers and, pepper. Simmer (do not boil) 5 minutes, partially cov ered, over low heat for the flavors to blend. Uncover and simmer 5 minutes longer. Adjust the seasonings.
Serve at room temperature as part of an antipasto or on top of little toasts.
Serves 8 as a condiment -
- Per serving: 200 calories, 25g carbohydrate, 4g protein, 10g fat, no cholesterol.Farm Stand Caponata // HOW-TO (extended):
Cut 2 medium eggplants into 1/2 inch cubes.
Toss the diced eggplant in a colander with 2 T. coarse salt. Let rest for 1 hour. Then rinse lightly and blot with paper towels to remove excess water, then squeeze inside a kitchen towel, and set aside.
Dice (1/4 inch) 2 red onions.
Heat 2 T olive oil in a heavy pot over low heat. Add the onions, stirring occasionally, until softened. Cook for about 10 minutes adding 2 T minced garlic in the last 3 minutes.
Dice (1/2 inch) 3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes.
Add the tomatoes, 2 T tomato paste and salt to taste to the pan with onions, etc. Stir occasionally while simmering for 20 minutes.
Dice (1/4 inch) 1 c. celery hearts and leaves.
Add the celery to the pot and simmer 10 minutes longer.
Line the bottom of a bowl with paper towels. In another heavy pot, heat the remaining 3 T of oil over medium heat. Brown the eggplants in batches, then remove to the lined bowl to drain.
Stir the eggplants into the tomato sauce along with 1/3 c pitted green olives (halved lengthwise), 1/3 c Balsamic vinegar, 1/3 c golden raisons, 2 T drained tiny capers and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Simmer (do not boil) 5 minutes, partially covered, over low heat for the flavors to blend. Uncover and simmer 5 minutes longer. Adjust the seasonings. Serve at room temperature as part of an antipasto or on top of little toasts.
T=tablespoon
c=cup
Some recipes posted here are adapted from Farmer John's Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables (Gibbs Smith, Publisher, www.gibbs-smith.com, 2006), "Relish the American Farmer," August 2006.
Forces in Food
If one needs to stimulate one's thinking then one should use especially the salty stimulant of the radish for instance. If someone is not very active in the head it is good for him to add some radish to his food which will activate his thoughts a little. So you see the strange fact emerges: One can say radishes stimulate thinking. And one does not even need to be very active oneself, the thoughts simply come when one eats radishes -- such strong thoughts that they even generate powerful dreams.
-- Rudolf Steiner, from Nutrition and Stimulants
[ Excerpted from Farmer John's Cookbook: The Real Dirt On Vegetables: Seasonal Recipes and Stories from a Community Supported Farm by Farmer John Peterson & Angelic Organics (Gibbs Smith Publisher). Check with your local farm or bookstore for availability. Additional recipes, charts, indvidual copies of this book, and quantity discounts available at www.AngelicOrganics.com/cookbook.]
