Eggplant---Eggplant is a very versatile vegetable. It’s like a sponge and will absorb as much oil as you will give it so be aware if you saute it. You don’t need to peel these. The skins are not bitter. Great grilled for side dish or sandwiches or in a nice stew like ratatouille. To prepare for a sandwich slice into 1/2 to 3/4 inch slices, brush with olive oil/garlic combo, and bake or broil until tender. Top that with some nice pesto. To make a nice ratatouille all you need to do is saute up onion, garlic, add chopped eggplant, squash, tomatoes, a little basil and a few (optional and untraditional I think) carrots. Simmer until tender or longer. Makes a great meal with a cabbage or lettuce salad and nice crunchy bread.
Tomatoes---Some people say it’s time for a BLT. Some just want to eat the tomatoes up. You could cook a few up with eggplant for the ratatouille. I did this on Monday night. It simmered for a couple of hours until we ate it. Scrumptious!
Lemon cucumbers---Have I told you that you don’t need to peel these. You can just eat them like an apple or slice in salads or a nice cucumber and tomato sandwich.
Potatoes---Brand new, freshly dug, yummy Yukon Gold potatoes. For all you newcomers: the dirt is to stay on the potatoes until you eat them and please don’t put them into the refrigerator. If you don’t eat them right away, put them into a brown paper bag or box, away from light and keep in a cool, dark spot. You can wash the dirt off when you are ready to eat them up. One idea: chop and boil whole until tender. Drain and add butter, a tad of garlic, and chopped basil. If you have parsley you can use that instead of the basil.
Summer Squash---Either zucchini or yellow summer squash which by the way can be used with any recipe calling for zucchini. Try the recipe submitted by our pal, Sarah. She says it is so good and easy. More squash ideas (some repeats): saute with garlic/onion and add to quesadillas, cook with potatoes and scramble with an egg or two, make the ratatouille.
Garlic---For the pesto, eggplant, or any recipe of your heart’s desire.
Sweet Basil---Enough to make pesto. Here’s how we make it: wash and dry the basil. Put into a food processor with lots of garlic. Blend up. Add enough olive oil to desired consistency. Add Parmesan cheese. Here are some actual recipe amts if you need them: 2 cups loosely pack basil leaves, 2 - 4 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan and 1/4 cup olive oil. We don’t use pine nuts, we have used walnuts in the past but now just do the simplest. To freeze, either put into ice cube trays, freeze and pop into freezer bag when frozen and use cubes or freeze directly into a freezer bag and chop off what you need in the winter. So nice to have pesto in January.
Swiss Chard---Cook like spinach. Either steam or saute with garlic. It’s good steamed, but sauteing is not that much more trouble it’s worth it: Wash well, chop up and put into a large, heavy skillet with chopped garlic and olive oil. Stir around in the oil, add a touch of water, cover and cook on low until nice and tender, just a few minutes. You can cook the stems for a few minutes before the leaves if you want them as tender as the leaves. Salt and pepper to taste.

From Madhur Jaffrey's World of the East Vegetarian Cooking

Thanks to Sarah Yardley

Ingredients:
2 medium Tierra zucchini (or summer squash)

3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp black mustard seed (Sarah used more and used brown ones available at Community Market- can’t tell the difference)
1 medium Tierra onion, sliced in thin half-circles

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
Salt, pepper and Tierra ground peppers to taste

Directions:
Trim and coarsely grate the squash. Place in a colander. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt, mix and let rest. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the mustard seeds. They should start popping in a few seconds. Then add the onion. Cook a few minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture from the squash. Add to onions and cook about 3 minutes. Turn off and let cool. Whisk the yogurt until smooth. Fold in squash mixture and add the seasonings to taste.
Refrigerate. Sarah says this is delicious.
Make it in the morning and have it for lunch and dinner.








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EGGS---Our chickens are starting to lay their eggs! Hooray. These beautiful and delicious eggs are available at the Farm Stand. Better watch out, though: the customers at the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market would take them all if we'd let them. You all get priority! Come check them out and see what a really fresh egg looks and tastes like.




Calling all loyal CSA members. We would love to put your recipes in the Menu. If you have anything that you'd like to share, please e-mail me at evie@tierravegetables.com and most likely your recipe (or comment) will make its way to this little Menu.