Friday, July 30, 2010

The Ladybug Letter

Mariquita Farm
Issue Number 275
September 15th, 2005
http://www.ladybugletter.com
http://www.mariquita.com

Table of Contents:

1) David Guest Stars
2) Saturday Market Info
3) Eggplant Recipes
4) About the Ladybug Letter
5) Contact
1) Andy's note: There is no such thing as an "average consumer" or an "average San Franciscan" so there's no way that the letter that follows represents an "average Mariquita Farm shopper's perspective". This week's newsletter essay is, however, one San Franciscan's reaction to our farm expressed in their unedited voice.

September is the busiest month on the farm and I've been too busy to blink so recently writing has been out of the question. We chuckled when we read this e mail letter and we were touched too, because it's affectionate and it's about us. Anyway, for an urban consumer's point of view that probably isn't going to make it into the food section of "your average daily newspaper" read on:

http://www.ladybugletter.com/articles/DavidGuestStars.html

Julia's Note: David's essay was long so it's on it's own webpage, above. He ends the piece with a fond remembrance of the Desiree Farm Dinner we did with Anne Gingrass last spring. AND this afternoon Anne emailed me with the announcement that Desiree is starting a monthly Farm dinner on Friday nights. They don't know each other, I believe this is a coincidence. Here's the info on her dinner series, the next one is on Sept. 30th. It's worth clicking on this link just to read the menu:

http://www.desireecafe.com/familydinner.php

2) The "What we're bringing page" is below:
http://www.mariquita.com/Farmers%20Market/whatwerebringing.html

Eggplant photo:
http://www.mariquita.com/images/photogallery/eggplant.rosabianca.jpg

3) EGGPLANT recipes: we have lots and lots of eggplants this weekend (broccoli di cicco and broccoli crowns too!).

One recipe from Gaby Forte in Pacific Grove:

I will dice my eggplant and onions (and sweet bell peppers if I have them), and add to them walnuts and currants. Sprinkle it all with salt and pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Then bake it in the oven until the eggplant is cooked, remembering to toss them once in a while as it bakes and add little tads more of olive oil if needed. Whenever I am in a hurry I start it off on the stove, on a pan that can go straight to the oven, and finish it off there. We enjoy it on crostinis (toasted bread), alongside a giant green salad. This eggplant dish is good both hot and cold, and it makes a great sandwich for lunch on pita bread the next day. From Chef Gabriela Forte http://www.gabrielasfeast.com/main.htm

Some Eggplant Thoughts from Chef Andrew Cohen:

Hmmm. Eggplant. Although I love it when it is well done, it was not something I grew up with. I recall my Pop trying to make it and it was the greasiest, seediest thing. He muttered, and finally laughed it off, then said that concluded that experiment. In the dorm co-op I was in college I recall a few nightmares inflicted on us as well. Remember- go light with the oil.

I make a gratin with eggplant and tomatoes that is always well received. Dice up an onion and saute in oil with some S&P. Pre-heat the oven to 400F, rub a gratin dish vigorously with a garlic clove, allow to dry, then lightly oil. While the onions cook, cut eggplant into 1/2"-3/4" slices. Do the same with an equal volume of firm tomatoes. Mince a few cloves of garlic and add to the onions. When they are soft and have some color, load them into the bottom of the of the dish. Starting with eggplant, lay in a row across the dish, then lay in a row of tomatoes with at least a 50% overlap. Continue the length of the dish. Drizzle with olive oil, or brush for a more even distribution. Salt and pepper, then sprinkle with herbs. You could add basil leaves between the layers of tomato and eggplant if you wish. Laying them in will help keep them from drying out and will allow the flavor to better permeate. Otherwise, just scatter herbs such as oregano or sage over the top, and bake in the middle of the oven until the eggplant is golden and the tomatoes are melting. You could grate some cheese on if you wished, or scatter some breadcrumbs tossed in oil and seasoned in the last 10 minutes. The dish is excellent both hot or at room temp. I have even stuffed it into a sandwich (you need sturdy bread for this) with arugula and fresh mozzarella.

Tonight, after stopping by to get my box and getting some extra eggplants from Andy, I came home to experiment. There were some thumb thick eggplant that I sliced on the bias (1/4") and sprinkled with some sugar and a little salt. I got my non-stick hot, filmed the pan with grapeseed oil, then tossed the slices in. I allowed then to brown and crisp over medium-high, then turned them. Once they were colored on both sides, I lobbed in a couple spoonfuls of tapenade and then tossed to coat. I then turned the burner to high and poured in some water to come just as high as the slices. With the top off it took only a few seconds to boil off, but it succeeded in steaming the slices through and forming a sauce with the tapenade. Served as a side dish.

I also found some mushrooms that got me thinking. Took a couple medium Rosa Biancos (1 1/2#- I'm getting better about keeping the scale handy when I experiment) and lightly peeled. Sort of squared 'em off and cut into 1" cubes (roughly). Salt the eggplant pieces with around a T. of coarse salt and 2 t. sugar, and allow to sit in a non-reactive bowl. Allow to sit 15-20 minutes and then rinse, then let sit in a colander. Diced a medium onion and started sauteeing that in a couple T. of oil with S&P. Cut the mushrooms to approximately the same size. When the onions are done, transfer to a dish, add a touch of oil and start the mushrooms. Season, and when they are starting to soften and color, add in some white wine and garlic, and a T. of fresh chopped marjoram. When these are done, add to the bowl with the onions. Turn up the heat, add just enough oil to film the pan, and add the eggplant. Keep it moving to color it but not burn. Season with S&P, and if it seems the eggplant is not cooking through fast enough to keep up with the rate of browning, add a shot f the same wine as the mushrooms got. Just before the eggplant is done, add the onions and mushrooms, some freshly minced garlic, and some freshly minced marjoram. Taste- you may want to season with a little white wine vinegar. This will help to sharpen the individual flavors and bring up the contrasts between each element. I thought of varying this dish by eliminating the mushrooms and tossing in green olives and capers. The olives have a similar quality to mushrooms (the Japanese call this "umami"), and the capers would act the part of the vinegar. Serve while hot.

-AC

more eggplant recipes: http://www.mariquita.com/recipes/eggplant.html

4) About The Ladybug Letter

This is a free weekly e-newsletter put out by Andy Griffin and Julia Wiley, owners of Mariquita Farm. We started this newsletter in 1999 because we saw a demand for information about where and how food is produced, especially sustainably-grown food.

If you know of folks who would like to subscribe to this e-letter, forward this to them and they can sign up. Anyone anywhere is welcome to receive the newsletter. Thanks. -Julia

Please share this link with friends who might also enjoy Andy's writings: http://www.ladybugletter.com

If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter, click on the following link: http://www.mariquita.com/news/newsletter.signup.html

5) Contact

Andy Griffin & Julia Wiley
Mariquita Farm
http://www.mariquita.com
http://www.ladybugletter.com

831.761.3226
PO Box 2065
Watsonville, CA 95077-2065
Back to:
Features
Farms
Home