Saratoga Farmers' Market

eggplant

Polenta with Grilled Eggplant, Tomatoes and Basil

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By Catherine Morba, Plate of Mind. Adapted from EatingWell.
Serves: 4 (¾ cup of polenta, 2 cups of vegetables)

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● 4 cups water
● 1 cup cornmeal
● 1 tablespoon butter*
● ½ teaspoon salt, divided
● 3 large tomatoes* of choice
● 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil*, divided
● 3 cloves garlic*, minced
● ½ teaspoon ground pepper
● ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper*
● 1 large eggplant, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
● ½ cup chopped fresh basil*
● 1 tsp minced fresh thyme*

Instructions

  1. Toss tomatoes with 3 tablespoons oil, garlic, pepper, crushed red pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Set aside to marinate.
  2. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Slowly whisk in cornmeal and reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until thickened, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and the other ¼ tsp salt.
  3. Brush eggplant with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Grill directly on the grate on medium-high heat until charred, turning once, about 5 minutes per side. Let cool, then chop into bite-size pieces and add to the tomatoes along with basil and thyme. Spoon the vegetable mixture on top of bowls of polenta and serve.
Photo by Catherine Morba

Preparing for Winter Now

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Photos courtesy of Pattie Garrett

Farmers’ market zucchini

Chowderfest is just around the corner … well, it isn’t, but from a planner’s perspective, it might very well be.

Part of farming is planning. So, even as farmers and regulars at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market are savoring the abundance of summer produce, many also are thinking ahead to winter.

Tomatoes, zucchini, corn, beans, and eggplant are plentiful now at the farmers’ market and in backyard gardens. As the days shorten and temperatures drop, they’ll disappear.

I have to confess that while my husband likes to cook down pounds of tomatoes into sauces to can, I enjoy eating what’s fresh and in season. But every once so often I get a hankering in winter for a taste of the summer – for “fresh” green beans in the legendary Thanksgiving green-bean casserole, for sweet corn in clam chowder in early February.  

Summer Harvest Vegetable Soup

So how to get these tastes of summer in the middle of winter?

One simple answer to freeze them now while they’re at their peak flavor.

I’ve also balked at freezing too much in the past, partly because I forget what I have frozen partly because many recipes require blanching vegetables first to preserve their flavor. Blanching requires dropping vegetables into boiling water, cooking them for a few minutes, then plunging them into ice water. It prevents the enzymes in vegetables from deteriorating. But it is a chore.

However, blanching isn’t required for all vegetables, especially if you plan to use them within six months. I’ve decided to experiment this month. I’ll freeze tomatoes in freezer bags whole, probably for a month, for my husband to can. Zucchini, I’ll shred, for winter baking. Green beans are being trimmed and frozen for casseroles and stir fries. I’ll blanch a few eggplants and save them for bharta, a softly mashed Indian eggplant dish I like.

And, finally, corn. The cold of winter and the warmth of chowder are on my brain, so I’m going to try freezing some corn straight on the cob for shucking when I use it. I’ll also trying blanching some to ensure I have sweet, crunchy “fresh” corn when Chowderfest comes. 

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays through October 31 at High Rock Park. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and check us out on the FreshFoodNY app. E-mail friends@saratogafarmers.org for volunteer opportunities.

Moussaka

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Adapted from recipe by Kenton and Jane Kotsiris of www.lemonandolives.com

Prep time: 40 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 1 hour 10 mins

Serves: 4-6

 

Ingredients

*Ingredients available at the farmers’ market

  • 1 medium eggplants*, peeled and cut lengthwise into ½ inch thick slices
  • 1 lb ground beef*
  • ½ onion*, chopped
  • 1½ tsp tomato paste
  • ½ cup red wine*
  • 1 cup feta*
  • ¼ cup bread* crumbs
  • 2 cloves crushed garlic* (to preference)
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Cinnamon
  • -Bechamel Sauce-
  • 2 cups milk*
  • 2 tbsp butter*
  • ½ cup flour

Instructions

  1. Take sliced eggplant and place them in a bow with water and salt to soak for 15min.
  2. Pre-heat oven to 350ºF and take eggplant slices and place them on a baking tray. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in oven for 10-12min, or until tender. Remove and set aside.
  3. In a large skillet, add olive oil and chopped onions and cook for 5min, or until tender.
  4. Add beef and brown. Once brown, add: wine, tomato paste, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and garlic.
  5. Simmer and reduce all liquid.Once reduced, add bread crumbs and feta cheese. Remove from heat.
  6. Sprinkle bottom of an oiled baking dish with breadcrumbs.
  7. Line bottom of a dish with ½ of eggplant, cut to make even and make sure entire bottom is covered.
  8. Add meat mixture on top and spread evenly. Then add remaining eggplant slices to cover the top.

Bechamel Sauce:

Heat milk in a pan. Then add butter and melt. Once, hot – slowly stir in flour. Stir continually over low-med heat until thick. Once thick, remove from heat and pour over eggplant/meat mixture. Spread bechamel evenly over top

  1. Sprinkle with cinnamon and feta
  2. Bake for 30min at 350ºF, until golden brown

Notes

Moussaka is an interesting dish. It can be made many different ways. Some people substitute eggplant for potatoes or zucchini. The specific blend of herbs is even debated and or changed. If anything, use this as a base and experiment. You’ll get it different ways depending on where you have it in Greece. So make it your own!