More summer fun in this week’s CSA box!
purple green beans!
apples, peaches, flat peaches, and a nectarine
tomatoes and a green pepper
sweet corn!
Asian eggplant
arugula
field lettuce!
eggs, garlic, and goat cheese
A trip to the store
I stopped by the Farmers’ Fresh store on the square in downtown Carrollton.
shrimp, summer sausage, bacon
Frozen shrimp is a staple for us in stir-fries and sautéed in garlic as a quick supper. It’s so convenient because it needs practically no defrosting.
Summer sausage was new and exciting. It seemed like a good idea because it should last a while and go great with a host of summer vegetables. Many meals in the summer end up with lots of veggies and no protein. Sliced summer sausage to the rescue!
I’d like to make an argument that the bacon will last a while, too, but it won’t. Bacon burns a hole in my refrigerator door. Everything’s better with bacon. Yum. Bacon. (And sulfite-free!)
honey and garlic
I’ve been using raw honey from Colorado (gasp!) for about a month. And I’m a little stuffy. A connection? I’m going back on the local stuff. I like the taste better, anyway.
cheese!
I can make up good, rational reasons for buying everything else, but this cheese is pure indulgence. I’ll eat it in the afternoons as a snack. I’ll let it come to room temperature first, though. Eating cheese like this cold from the fridge is criminal!
Last night’s supper
Pulling food out of the CSA box is the best kind of meal planning. I had no idea what we’d have for supper before then. Afterward, I knew we’d have corn and lettuce because those are best eaten right away. The goat cheese is not incredibly fresh, so I wanted to use some of it, too. And those baby eggplant were just too cute to ignore.
Here’s what we ended up with…
shrimp in garlic, lettuce, tomato, and arugula salad, sweet corn, and broiled eggplant with goat cheese!
Eggplant plans
Baba ghanoush is a great thing to do with eggplant. (Especially once you’ve sprung for an $8 jar of tahini.) I roasted three Asian eggplants and combined the innards with a couple of tablespoons of tahini, some olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and the juice of half a (juicy) lemon. This made about a cup of baba ghanoush. It’s really good, and you can just keep tasting it as you make it and add more ingredients as needed. One thing I learned is that it’s better after a day in the fridge, so make it ahead of time if you can.
Broiling slices with goat cheese is fun, too. Just slice the eggplant (anywhere from 1/8-1/2 inch depending on how much you like eggplant. It can get slimy and greasy to me, so I stick to 1/8” slices.), brush slices with olive oil and broil for several minutes (depends on the thickness). In the last couple of minutes, sprinkle the goat cheese on top, along with any herbs you might have lying around. Delish!
Here are more recipes for eggplant.
Enjoy your food!
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thoughtful consumption 