Eggplant Rollatini/Lasagna

Does eggplant leave a bad taste in your mouth? Do you shy away from preparing it because you feel it's slightly bitter? Well, I am here to give you the good news. This lovely veggie is now bred to be milder so you should give it a second chance!

And, it turns out, eggplant is one of the best sources of the antioxidant nasunin, which helps protect the fatty acids essential to healthy brain function.  It's only 20 calories per cup with 3 grams of fiber, vitamins A, B, C, Folate, and minerals like potassium and magnesium, calcium and phosphorus.  Talk about a well rounded vegetable!

Are you sold now? Well, you better be, because if you are a CSA member, chances are you have more than you know what to do with.  And you can't just give it away! Try something new today.

I love lasagna, and I love eggplant parm.  However, both can be sort of heavy on the waistline.  I created my version of an eggplant rollatini and/or lasagna. This is a great low carb recipe too for those who are counting carbs or doing a Paleo type diet. And it's gluten free! You use the same exact ingredients for both recipes  but how you lay it out in the end is up to you. You'll see if you keep on scrolling. This recipe makes two 9X13 pans of filling, gooey, saucy eggplant.

Eggplant Rollatini (or Eggplant Lasagna)

Ingredients:
2 medium to large sized eggplants (I don't peel mine but you can if you don't like the skin)
1 15 oz container ricotta cheese (feel free to try fat free, part skim, whatever floats your boat)
8 oz frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed of excess water
1 egg
onion powder
small handful of fresh parsley, chopped
dried oregano
garlic powder
salt/pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan/Romano cheese (plus more for sprinkling later on)
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella, plus more for sprinkling later on
5-6 baby Bella or button mushrooms, wiped with a damp cloth then chopped small
1/4 cup chopped onion
olive oil
4 cups or more of your favorite marinara sauce/gravy. Click here for a recipe which uses canned tomatoes or click here for one using garden tomatoes.

1. Slice the eggplant the long way into 1/8"  slices using a long serrated knife.

When you get close to the end, lay it down and slice horizontally




Layer it between paper towels and then top it off with another dish and then my Mom's trick, a heavy kettle. This helps to squeeze out some of the moisture. Let this sit for about 20 minutes. (Yes, that is a Krispy Kreme box in background)

 2. Spray hot grill pan liberally with vegetable spray and then place eggplant slices on the grill until lightly browned on each side and tender, about 4 minutes per side. Remove slices from the grill pan and allow to cool. (If you don't have a grill pan, you can bake in the oven at 350 degrees, turning once). If using grill pan, be sure to spray the pan in between batches.  Set the cooked eggplant aside on a dish to cool.

3. While cooking the eggplant, heat a small fry pan with a few tsp of olive oil. Saute the chopped onion until soft and then add mushrooms, salt and pepper.  Add 1/2 tsp dried thyme and 1 clove of crushed garlic. Cook 1 minute more and remove from heat. Let cool.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, pour in the ricotta cheese, spinach, 1 egg, the mozzarella, grated parm, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, a few shakes of onion powder, 1 tsp oregano. Stir to combine well. Add the onion/mushroom mixture after it's cooled off and combine well.

5. Next, you decide if you want roll ups or lasagna, or both (which is what I did).

 If rolling up, take a heaping tsp of ricotta mixture and place it about an inch onto the slice. Then roll it up and place it with seam side down in a sauced 9X13 inch pan.

Spoon your sauce over all of the roll ups. Then sprinkle more shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan over the top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. You can remove the foil  halfway through.

If you are doing this like a lasagna, just lay the cooked eggplant slices over the sauced pan. Then spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the slices, more sauce and cheese, then more eggplant, more ricotta, cheese sauce, then end with eggplant slices. Cover with sauce and more cheese.  Same temp and time as above.

Here are the lovely twins! You decide which version you like better. I sprinkled mine with my neighbor's fresh basil. Pretty nice, huh?

TIPS:

1. Make your sauce/gravy ahead of time, even a few days ahead is fine.

2. Clean up as you go

3. Make the ricotta mixture a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge until ready to use.

4. Feel free to mix it up with different veggies in your ricotta mixture. You can try sauteing grated carrots, shredded zucchini (squeezed well), shallots, or chopped pancetta (which I realize is not a veggie but it's nice to fantasize!)

5. Enjoy the leftovers! This tastes even better the next day.

For more easy eggplant recipes, click here for Rachael Ray's great ideas.



Finding Peace at the Farm Around the Corner

I had reached my I.Q last night. Yes, my Irritability Quota had been filled. My kids were just being kids, but for some reason, I had to get out. I felt like I was being smothered and suffocated. This happens on occasion and when it does, I try to hide in the bathroom. (You know you do it too, I can't be the only one). Thankfully, last night we were lucky to have something on the calendar so I wouldn't have to look at T.P.  A private farm tour at Confreda Farms was planned for CSA members. Just what the farmer ordered!

All I can say is, Confreda, your timing could not have been more perfect. We were treated to some light refreshments from the cafe and then hopped on the bumpy tractor and embarked on our journey. The farm is less than 10 minutes from my house, yet I felt like I was suddenly swept away to another time and place.  There is something magical about being on an open farm where all you see for miles and miles is green, green, green. 

Sunset on the farm. The icing on the cake!

Being right in the middle of where it all happens, how the plants are nurtured, and where our food is born evoked a serenity in me that quite honestly, I didn't know existed.  It was like Nature's Prozac, minus the dulling side effects.

And after 5 weeks of receiving my CSA share, I still light up like a Christmas tree each time. I keep thinking, "People who don't have this really don't know what they are missing. I want everyone to experience this!"

I've said this before and I'll say it again. It's not just getting "a box of veggies" each week. It's a box filled with so much more: The promise of a seedling, TLC, and 4 generations of hard work and determination against Mother Nature's unpredictable temperament.

All this time I had been trying to find my happy place by hiding in a bathroom or basement. Now, I just need to find my own tractor and run for the fields.

Mothers of the Corn.
 If these stalks could talk...

I'll be sending all my mom friends your way so that they too, can find their happy places.
Photo credits to my husband Bill, who finally eats beets. Thank you Confredas!

It's Not Easy Being Green

This week my favorite bakery closed down and I was a little preoccupied with the last worthy chocolate cream pie to ever touch my lips. (I know, a little melodramatic).

Now that I have indulged, I am back on track and ready to tackle my next CSA challenge. While there was no whipped cream hiding underneath the veggies, there definitely were a few surprises that I didn't expect.
The first one was Purslane and if you've never heard of it, you are not alone. You MUST click here to see the nutritional benefits of this "gourmet weed". 
 

The Vitamin A and Omega 3 content will blow you away!

 You can saute it or use in a salad but just be sure not to cook it at high temps to avoid ruining its precious nutritional content.

Next in my mystery box was green tomatoes. Now, some people feel the need to resuscitate these to the color of red, but I accept them for who they are. (There are some tomatoes that are not destined for a Good Gravy. But you certainly can try.)  Click here for tips on how to ripen them.

If you're like me, and accept all green tomatoes "as is", then read on:
For a fried green tomato recipe even Jessica Tandy would love,  click here.

And for a great remoulade sauce to dip them in, click here.  For additional tips on how to eat them click here.

But if you'd like to know what was on every Thanksgiving and Christmas spread in my house growing up, it was Grampa Rico's Pickled Tomatoes.  I was nuts about these as a kid and loved eating them right out of the jar. 

If you are afraid to tackle anything pickled, fear not. It's very easy.

First, sterilize your jars and click here to see how. Next, wash your green tomatoes and cut up into wedges. Add them to the jar(s). You can also add a few whole cloves of garlic to the mix.

By the quart:

Boil 1 cup water and 1 TBS salt. Let it cool. Add the liquid to the jar of tomatoes. Fill the rest of the jar with white vinegar. Add 1 tsp of pickling spices (sold in the spice section, Job Lot 99 cents!) to the jar and cover tightly.

Let the jars sit for 3-5 weeks on shelf in a cool area.

Add these to your salad or antipasto. Store in fridge after opening.

Also included in my CSA box this week: Eggplant, yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, and long hot green peppers. More recipes to come. Please share what you are doing with your goodies this week. I'd love to know!

Eggplant Bruschetta

What are you doing with your CSA eggplant this week? I love Eggplant Parmigiana but in the summer, I'd rather not spend precious time in the kitchen slaving over a pan of hot oil. It's also a tad fattening so here is a lighter way to serve it while still enjoying the traditional flavors of E.P. It uses a few simple ingredients, 3 of which were in my CSA box this week. Serve this as a side dish or a nice appetizer.

My mom, sister Jen and I came up with this idea and we are calling it:

Eggplant Bruschetta

Ingredients

1 eggplant sliced into long 1/4 inch slices (no need to peel it, the skin makes it sturdier on the grill)

sliced tomatoes

jarred or homemade pesto

shredded mozzarella and/or goat cheese

sliced basil

salt & pepper
Olive oil

Brush each slice of eggplant with olive oil on each side and lightly salt and pepper. 
Heat grill on medium to med/low heat.
Place slices carefully on the grill and grill for about 5 minutes or until you can see the grill marks. Then flip over the slices.
Next, spread a little pesto on each slice, then top with tomato slices, some crumbled goat cheese and/or mozzarella slices. 
Cover the grill and let the cheese melt, taking care not to over cook the eggplant. Serve warm.
Top with freshly sliced basil and toasted pine nuts if you prefer. 

Good Gravy!

Hello my friends! We are now into week 4 of the Confreda CSA. Are you loving it as much as I am? Each week is a new adventure and this week's box did not disappoint.  The picture below has all the makings of a ratatouille, a homemade tomato sauce, stir fried veggies on the grill, a brushchetta and a pesto. It's an Italian (or not) home cook's dream come true!

Just a few of my favorite things:
Zucchini, cukes, peppers, basil, parsley, tomatoes, eggplant

This week at Confreda's they are running a buy one get one free on select pastas so it's only right that we post a recipe for the pasta topping. What is better than a fresh tomato sauce prepared exclusively with Confreda's garden tomatoes? Now, you probably call it "sauce" but where I come from, it's "gravy". Way back I posted a recipe to make your own gravy using canned tomatoes but this recipe uses only the fresh kind.

One school of thought tells you to peel the skins of the tomatoes before using them and de-seed the tomatoes. Personally, I skip this step and find that once you cook the tomatoes down, the skin and seeds are not that noticeable and adds some texture to the gravy. Your choice.

To remove the skins:
Boil a pot of water. Cut a little cross hatch (shallow cut) on the stem end of each tomato and drop into the water for about 30 seconds. Let them cool a bit and the skins should peel off easily when pulled from the edges of the hatch mark.

Good Gravy!

(aka. Fresh Tomato Sauce)

It's so easy, it's almost embarrassing that I am posting this as a "recipe".
I like to keep mine very simple.

5-6 good sized tomatoes chopped

extra virgin olive oil

salt & pepper

1/2 to 1 tsp sugar

3-4 cloves of crushed garlic

1 TBS dried oregano

fresh basil leaves (approx 1/4 cup)

grated cheese (optional)

1. In a large skillet heated on low, coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Add the garlic but be sure not to brown it as this will destroy the taste of the garlic and the sauce.

2. Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper to taste, and oregano.

3. Cook this down for about 20 minutes, or more. You can stir occasionally and keep it covered on med low heat. The longer you cook it, the more concentrated the tomato flavor.

Check the flavor and adjust seasoning as needed. Does it need a pinch of sugar? Then add it!

4. After the sauce has reached a nice consistency, you can add fresh basil. If you don't like the "chunkiness" of the sauce, you can transfer to a blender or food processor to smooth it out. For me, the chunks are what sets this apart from a "canned sauce" and brings the farm flavor home!

Optional additions: Saute some chopped onions and diced carrots until tender before adding the garlic.

Top your favorite pasta with your Good Gravy and some grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Thinking Outside Your CSA Box

We are now into week 3 of our Great CSA Experiment! If you are a CSA member then I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am. I have never eaten healthier in my life and there is a constant feeling of joy every time I open the fridge and think about what to cook next. Before, the center of my recipes might have centered around chicken, fish or ground turkey but now the star on each plate is an abundance of gorgeous, hand picked, FRESH veggies. The "animal proteins" have definitely taken a back seat lately and we are quite enjoying it.

My bounty this week consisted of Napa cabbage, grape tomatoes, watermelon, sweet corn, lettuce and squash flowers. Yum! For advice on how to store and make the most of your CSA supply, please see below:

How to store Napa Cabbage
How to store fresh corn (tips on freezing it here too if you can't use it right away.)
How to store squash blossoms
How to store romaine lettuce
How to store grape tomatoes
How to store watermelon

My personal challenge is to concoct a dish that contains at least 2 CSA ingredients.  Tonight I made a veggie stir fry over brown jasmine rice. Basically, I just took some julienned carrots, sliced red onion and sauteed in sesame oil.  I then added a few cloves of crushed garlic, a bunch of sliced Napa cabbage and 1/2 cup to a cup of chicken broth. I cooked this down a bit until the cabbage wilted. I then added some leftover CSA broccoli from last week and some sliced baby Bella mushrooms. Cooked again til tender.  Added a few sprinkles of ginger and black pepper, then a few shakes of soy sauce. Simmer a tad more and then served it over rice.   You could really do whatever you like here. Water chestnuts, peanuts, almonds, red pepper, sugar snap peas, etc. You could also top with some freshly chopped basil or parsley.  Serve it over couscous, noodles or quinoa.  The trick is to avoid overcooking any of the veggies. Cook the ones that take the longest first, like "harder" veggies. You don't want to end up with a bowl of mush!

Next. On to those pretty little squash flowers that keep popping up in your box.


They are not just for show you know!

People pay big bucks for these blossoms when prepared in fancy restaurants so enjoy this precious flower while you can. My mom has always made them with a pancake like batter and then fried in oil. Very simple to do.


That's my Mom, Ginny. She and I have our best talks in the kitchen.
It's one of the happiest places on Earth.


She simply makes a pancake batter with Bisquick or Jiffy mix, nothing too heavy. She washes and dries the squash blossoms and then quickly dips the flowers into the batter. She then fries them in oil until golden brown on each side. After they are cooked, drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

If you are looking for an upscale way to prepare them, click here for a Goat Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossom recipe.  And if you just can't get enough,  click here for 5 more ways to prepare them.

Happy and healthy eating to all of you this week!

Broccoli Revelations

I think I may need to be resuscitated. My kids finally not only like broccoli but they love it. For years I have been trying to coax them into eating it.

"C'mon honey, it's a little tree! Try it. No, wait, it's a bush! Eat the bush!"

"Don't you eat it all. I want it! "

"I'll give you 5 extra kisses if you eat it. No, I'll give you 5 dollars if you try it!"

"I'll let you eat a Fruit Rollup for breakfast tomorrow"

"I'll buy you a pony!"

All for naught!

Until this week. While preparing the Pizza Primavera on a whim, out sat a cutting board filled with chopped steamed broccoli. (No offense, broccoli, but you didn't look very appetizing.) The kids were bugging me for something to eat so I said, "Here, try this". The next thing I knew, my 9 year old was making broccoli sandwiches with Wheat Thins and my 4 year old was pretending his florets were police whistles.

He looks like my kid......

For so long, I tried making broccoli "appealing" and now they are eating it in its most unattractive form. It's like the broccoli put on her most unflattering jeans yet all the other crops thought she was hot.

"Mommy, this broccoli is delicious!"
"I love it!"

Who are you and what did you do to my children? 

All I can say is that magical things are happening all around me. My husband has been snacking on golden beets (previously would not touch with a 10 foot pole), my friend Aileen is eating her beets as a midnight snack (ditto to her too), and I'm eating cherry tomatoes instead of my usual chocolate in the closet.

Thank you CSA. I thought I would just be getting "a bunch of veggies each week." I think I may have underestimated your powers!

Looking forward to another magical week : )