A Farmers Market Dinner

By the time July comes around, there's a lot to offer at the Luray Farmers Market.  Here's a sampling of the take from last weekend - for vegetables, three kinds of eggplants, two kinds of squash, new potatoes; an apple pie; and not shown, a 2.5 brisket that I will learn to use my new smoker with.  We stopped by Main Street Bakery afterwards for the oatmeal loaf shown here.

We invited our friends Steve and Noelle over for dinner - we had some New York strips that I had been saving and we paired those up with the produce.  We were able to enjoy a North Mountain white and the Wisteria Norton - both local vineyards - for libations.  Here's what I did with the eggplant and squash...

Jim's Evolving Market Ratatouille
1 traditional eggplant (the big purple one); three petit pan squashes; half an onion, garlic, olive oil, a cup of white wine, a 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes (or fresh if they're in), Herbs de Provence, and salt and pepper)

Simmer the onion in a pot with enough olive oil to cover the bottom.  Peel the eggplant (Mary says you have to press it with kosher salt to get the bitterness out - I follow this step, you may not), then slice into quarter-inch slices.  Slice the squash as well.  Once the onions have softened up, add the garlic and tomatoes. Once they are warmed up and mixed together, add the squash, white wine, and herb de provence (this is a savory blend of spices, so go carefully with it, I add a bit at a time).  Also add the salt and pepper, not much, and to your own taste.  Then cook until the vegetables soften, but still hold their shape.  You may want to add a little sugar and more salt and pepper to bring up the flavor.  The whole shebang takes about 15 minutes in the pot, serve it as a side dish.  This recipe is giving about 6 servings.

Now, as I mentioned, I am continuing to develop this recipe, which I originally put together on a whim.  I think I would like more tomatoes in the next batch, since they will be coming in soon enough.  And if I do that, probably can taper off a little on the h de p.  But it's coming along - I've made this three times and so far no complaints...the first time I did it, I used Busta Browne's spicy catsup sauce, lightly brushed on the eggplant...that left us hankering for more tomato so I moved up the the current amount, but we're hankering for more, and I want fresh from the garden tomatoes in the next batch.

Now, as far as the little purple eggplants go, here's what Mary did with them last night - she sliced them in half, rubbed some olive oil on the exposed flesh, spinked sea salt and fresh ground pepper, and grilled face down.  They came out fantastic - you eat them right from the skin.  They are small enough you'll need a couple, the four we had made about two servings.  This is definitely something we'll try again - thanks to David and Heather for the suggestion.

We asked Chuck at Main Street what he would do with them.  He thought for a minute, and came up with an idea for baba ghanoush...grill the eggplant whole. When they are done, cut off the end and squeeze it like a tube of toothpaste right onto toasted foccacia...now that sounds like a fresh summer treat, doesn't it?

Speaking of Farmers Market Dinners - Luray's Mimslyn Inn is also giving it a try on alternating Friday's this summer.  Here's the poster - more details on their website.  Many of our friends from the market provide the ingredients...we're looking forward to having a chance to check it out soon.