CSA Week Eight: August 24 – 29

This week marks the last week of the 8-week Summer CSA season- it’s hard to believe it’s gone so quickly! But while August might be coming to an end, the weather still says summer, and we’re still seeing lots of those “summer” crops coming out of the fields- including tomatoes, eggplant, and zucchini! Here are a few recipes to help celebrate these summer favorites.

Easy French Ratatouille

This is a simple ratatouille recipe- if you’re looking for a slightly more involved recipe, I like this one.

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for serving
• 1 1/2 pounds eggplant (1 large), large dice
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds zucchini or summer squash (3 to 4 medium squash), large dice
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound tomatoes (3 to 4 medium), large dice
• 1 large bell pepper, large dice
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced, plus more for serving

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the eggplant, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil to the pot. Add the zucchini, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the eggplant.
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, and bay leaf and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and bell peppers. Add the reserved eggplant and zucchini and gently stir to combine.
4. Bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 1/2 hours. A shorter cooking time will leave the vegetables in larger, more distinct pieces; longer cooking times will break the vegetables down into a silky stew.
5. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Just before serving, stir in the basil. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve, sprinkling each serving with more basil and drizzling with more olive oil.

Recipe from https://www.thekitchn.com/one-pot-recipe-easy-french-ratatouille-recipes-from-the-kitchn-106669

Baked Parmesan Zucchini

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 zucchini, quartered lengthwise
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet; set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine Parmesan, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Place zucchini onto prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan mixture. Place into oven and bake until tender, about 15 minutes. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown.
4. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Recipe from https://damndelicious.net/2014/06/21/baked-parmesan-zucchini/

Moroccan-inspired Tomato and Eggplant Stew

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large (~550 g) eggplant (unpeeled and cut into bite-size pieces // ~7 cups cubed eggplant as the recipe is written)
• 2 Tbsp olive or melted coconut oil (if avoiding oil, omit)
• ½ tsp sea salt
• Coconut oil (if avoiding oil, sub water)
• 1 large white or yellow onion (thinly sliced)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)
• 2 14.5-oz cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes (or make your own roasted tomatoes- recipe here)
• 1/2 cup water (or vegetable broth)
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (optional // well rinsed and drained // or sub cooked lentils)
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup or coconut sugar
• 2 Tbsp harissa paste (or sub another favorite hot sauce or chili garlic sauce)

For serving (optional):

• Cilantro or parsley
• White rice, brown rice, or quinoa
• Fresh lemon

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Add diced eggplant, drizzle with avocado or olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat and roast for 30-35 minutes, flipping / tossing near the 20-minute mark.
• In the meantime, heat a large rimmed pan or pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil (or water) and onions. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until soft and slightly caramelized.
• Add garlic, cumin, and paprika and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute more.
• Add tomatoes and their juices as well as water (or vegetable broth). Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 4 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
• Remove cover and add (rinsed, drained) chickpeas (optional), maple syrup, and harissa paste and stir to coat. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat.
• Remove roasted eggplant from oven, turn oven off, and add eggplant to the tomatoes and chickpeas. Stir to combine and cover. Simmer over medium-low / low heat for another 10 minutes to allow flavors to deepen.
• Taste and adjust flavors as needed, adding more maple syrup to balance the heat, cumin, or paprika for smokiness, salt to taste, or harissa paste for spice.
• Serve as is or over rice or grain of choice (or pasta or roasted vegetables) with wedges of fresh lemon and fresh chopped parsley or cilantro. Additional harissa paste can be added as garnish for additional heat.
• Store completely cooled leftovers in the refrigerator up to 5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheat on the stovetop, adding more water or vegetable broth as needed to rehydrate.

Recipe from https://minimalistbaker.com/moroccan-spiced-eggplant-and-tomato-stew/