Feelin’ like fall
Is this a wonderful fall-like day or what? And it’s only September 2nd!
This week’s produce has one foot in summer (tomatoes, basil, green beans, and eggplant) and another in fall (mushrooms, acorn squash, and apples). These kind of week’s are fun because you get a chance to appreciate the summer stuff as it peters out for the year. And you get new fall stuff to try, too.
- basil
- oyster mushrooms
- acorn squash
- green beans
- eggplant
- eggs
- cheddar cheese
- apples
- tomatoes
Pasta!
UPS delivered 20 pounds of fettuccine to my house today. Amazon had it on sale for around a dollar a pound shipped. I don’t remember what the six-pound bag of spaghetti costs at Sam, but I don’t think it was less than that. Plus, I was getting awfully tired of spaghetti.
The basil’s already pesto. We’ll have it on fettuccine some night soon or spread on some toasted bread. We can always freeze it, but I don’t think it’ll come to that.
Tonight we’re having pasta and pine nuts with green beans and tomatoes on the side. (And I’ll still be eating cabbage even if everyone else has given up.)
The rest of the tomatoes will get cooked with onions, garlic, and wine another night and then tossed with pasta. If I need some fresh basil, I’ve still got a little growing outside.
Baba ghanoush and brownies
The globe eggplants will be baba ghanoush since I’ve still got lemons, garlic, and tahini lying around. I’ll roast them in the oven tonight because eggplant’s like basil – the sooner the better. Might have to put something else in the oven with the eggplant … like brownies.
It’s been an awfully long time since we had brownies. One of the best part of Farmers’ Fresh eggs is being cool with licking the brownie bowl. Salmonella contamination is directly related to the size of the flock and the chicken’s general health. I’ve met the chickens at Red Hott Tomatoes, and they are happy, well-adjusted birds living in flocks of about 10 (compared to as many as 30,000 in an industrial chicken farm). Plus, if one of the chickens were sick, Nancy and Jacque would know (and care). Same goes with the other farmers.
I’m not suggesting downing raw eggs in mass quantities, but getting to enjoy a little brownie batter is pretty darn awesome. I appreciate the farmers’ skill, hard work, and care that allow me to pass around the joy that only brownie batter-covered bowls, beaters, and spatulas bring.
Easy fall items
I’m excited to play with the mushrooms, cheddar, and apples. I’m not quite sure what I’ll do yet, but I want everything to be simple to get at these tastes. Maybe some kind of mushroom and rice dish and then cheddar and apple snacks. I’ve also got a little Asian pear left to add to that mix.
I love acorn squash! It’s easy to make, too. Half the squash, scoop out the seedy bits, put a little butter and maple syrup in the cavities, and bake at 350 for about half an hour. Stick a fork in it to see if it’s done. When in doubt, leave it in for a little longer; it’ll only get better. It’s so good for a late supper on a chilly night.
Leftovers
Here’s what we have left to eat up from last week.
- red cabbage (just a couple of servings more!)
- peach muffins
- field peas (some cooked, some uncooked)
- Asian pear (We have about a third of a really big fruit left. Maybe I’ll revisit the stir-fry idea without all the sauce.)
- a handful of green beans (I’m cooking these tonight.)
So we’re in pretty good shape. We’ll have field peas with all the fall items and finish them up in a few days.
thoughtful consumption 
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