Just four days ago I wrote about how much I miss okra and how impossible it is to find in New England. You can imagine my delight when I walked around the farmstand at yesterday’s pickup and saw a basket of the most beautiful okra I’ve ever seen. With a huge smile on my face, I filled a bag with almost all of it before my children said “But Mama, if you take it all, no one else can try it!” So I took a little more than a pound and a half and. left some in the basket. I’m hoping that one of you took it and made something delicious with it. No okra should ever be left behind.
I had no idea if Farmer Jamie grew it or sourced it from somewhere down south, but I secretly hoped she thought about me when putting it in the stand. After sending her a message yesterday afternoon I learned it was indeed grown at Springdell. Farmer Jamie, if you’re reading this, thank you. I just adore you. And your crew. But you knew that already.
If you see it at the stand, buy a little. Try it out. It is, hands down, my favorite thing about summer. And I really want Farmer Jamie to keep growing it, so let’s increase the demand! My youngest can eat an entire pound of roasted okra in one sitting. Last night we fried it, and had caprese salad over lettuce, hush puppies, and corn on the cob. It was a true taste of summer.
In addition to the okra, we also came home with so many eggplants, most of which came from the swap box. It makes me so sad to see so many people leave their eggplant at the farm. I used to be afraid of eggplant too, but it has become a favorite summer veggie in recent years. My children were ecstatic to see so many eggplants on the counter. I know it can be scary, but I challenge you to be adventurous this week. If you need some inspiration, here is a list of my favorite ways to eat eggplant.
Summer Week 7: What We Brought Home
basil, carrots, cherry tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, eggplant (two varieties), green lettuce, green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, okra!, peaches, romaine lettuce, squash bombs, sugar plums, tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini
Meal Ideas for the Week
Breakfasts
Weekend breakfasts are for pancakes. Lately, I’m experimenting with putting all the vegetables in breakfast. We had Zucchini Bread Pancakes for breakfast this morning and felt like we went out for fancy brunch. In our pajamas. The next time we make them, I’ll add some chopped pecans to a little of the batter. These carrot cake pancakes also look delicious and may be on the horizon for later this week, being as I have 4 bunches of carrots hanging out in my fridge.
I got sucked in by this video by Vaughn Vreeland last night and am intrigued by his leftover salad scramble (starting at 5:16 in the video). With lots of lettuce to use, I’m definitely going to try it.
With the first of the tomatoes coming in, this feels like the perfect week to indulge in BLTs. For breakfast. Or lunch. Or dinner. If you don’t have any bread, just chop it up and put it on a bed of greens. Talk about a breakfast of champions!
Lunches
When fresh produce hits, I trade lunch sandwiches for galettes. They are easy to make at the beginning of the week, then store in your fridge for lunch. This Zucchini and Ricotta Galette and this Burst Tomato Galette with Corn & Zucchini are two that I will definitely put on the menu this week. Sometimes I make them for dinner, serve them with a side salad, and eat the leftovers for lunch the next day. Although some galettes freeze well, I haven’t had luck freezing these - I think because of the water content in the vegetables. It makes them an extra delicious summer treat.
Tomatoes, cucumber and basil scream for a twist on Caprese’ Salad (see picture below). I slice cucumbers super thin, use cherry tomatoes, and small balls of mozzarella. I like to serve it over a bed of greens, because there’s no shortage of lettuce these days. This recipe is a good base - I use cucumbers instead of avocado because it’s local and delicious.
The weather looks beautiful this week (finally!) so I’m hoping for a picnic or two. This Grilled Zucchini with White Beans is an excellent addition to your summer picnic. She recommends you eat it warm or at room temp, but I’m here to tell you it’s just as delicious cold.
Corn and black bean salad is another terrific picnic meal. I use a recipe from my Rancho Gordo cookbook, but this one looks like it’s worth trying.
Dinners
Doesn’t that plate look like the perfect taste of summer? I suggest it for lunch up above, but last night we paired it with a bed of lettuce, fried okra, and corn on the cob for a delightfully easy and delicious dinner.
I’m always so excited for the first of the season’s cherry tomatoes because it means I can make this Fried Rice with Zucchini & Tomatoes. It’s not every day that I can get my kids to eat zucchini, but they devour this.
We got some beautiful Porterhouse steaks in our last meat share, so I’m going to make this Zucchini Rice Gratin to go alongside them one day this week. I’ll make some corn on the cob, slice a tomato and sprinkle some basil on top and it will be a perfect summer meal.
This Eggplant & Zucchini Parmesan is, hands down, my favorite meal to stash in the freezer. It takes a lot of time and is a lot of work, so I typically make a few at once, but it is simply amazing.
A good hamburger fresh off the grill is one of my favorite things about summer. I am so excited about Romaine Lettuce this week. For a fun twist on lettuce, cut your head of romaine in half, rinse it really well, drizzle it with olive oil and lemon juice, sprinkle some salt, and put it on the grill. Grilled lettuce might sound weird, but romaine is hearty and stands up well to the heat. It’s delightful on its own, or you can put it on top of your burger with some caramelized onions. Pour a glass of wine, take your plate to your patio and pretend you’re eating at the best burger joint in town.
Green bell peppers are not a favorite in our house, so I’m always looking for a way to sneak them in to recipes. Red Beans & Rice is one of our favorite meals and is a great way to use up a pepper. Leftovers also work beautifully for breakfast or lunch. For you vegans, here’s a great vegan version. Peppers are also super easy to freeze - no blanching required - so I’ll often chop them up and freeze them to use in winter soups and stews.
And I have to put in one more plug for eggplant this week. Those long skinny Italian Eggplants are so great to slice, roast and put on pizza or in a calzone. You can even roast and freeze them for winter pizza nights.
Snacks & Treats
I linked to this Smoky Eggplant Dip last week, but I neglected to tell you that you can prepare the eggplant by charring and baking it, scrape it from it’s skin, then freeze it. In March, when you have no idea what to eat, you’ll be able to dig it out from your freezer and have an instant party.
We’re having dinner at a friend’s house tomorrow night and I’m tasked with bringing dessert. I searched for a dessert that would use cabbage (there are three heads staring me in my fridge), but I was unsuccessful. I figured no one really wants to eat cabbage for dessert anyway, so I’m going to make a Peach & Blueberry Galette instead.
Preserving Notes
Don’t forget to freeze some corn! Corn is my favorite thing to pull out of the freezer in the dark winter months. Shuck it, blanch it on the cob for 3 minutes, put in an ice bath for 3 minutes, then cut the kernals off the cob. Save the cobs for broth later, and measure your corn into freezer baggies. Your winter self will thank you.
Cherry tomatoes come in faster than you can eat them, especially if you - like me - have several volunteer plants popping up in your yard. These slow-roasted tomatoes are my favorite trick. I end up with jars of them in the freezer every year, and they are a wonderful addition to just about anything. I love pairing them with Zucchini Butter on toast or in a crepe.
The choices for amazing food are endless this time of year. I’d love to hear what you’re making this week!
