Bakbraken Acres CSA Newsletter

Vol. 13

 September 10, 2012

The face of the farm has been changing the past few weeks as we pull the early summer crops and replace them with new rows of cabbage, broccoli, greens, and cover crops. As we are continually harvesting the bounty of summer we are ever reminded of how much there is to do and plant in preparation for winter. Now is the time to share food, stories, and laughter with friends and family, these are the golden days, the last sweet days of summer. It is in the exhale at the end of a long day that I am able to see the beauty in the work, as I sit to eat among friends I am so thankful to be a part of this incredible community.

Eggplant Lasagna

Ingredients

            1/2  pound  plum tomatoes, halved and seeded

            1  clove garlic

            4  tablespoons  olive oil

            kosher salt and black pepper

            2  eggplants (about 3 pounds), sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick

            1  cup  ricotta

            1  large egg

            1/2  cup  fresh basil, chopped

            1/4  cup  grated Asiago or Parmesan (1 ounce)

            4  cups  mixed greens

Directions

1.               Heat broiler. In a food processor, puree the tomatoes, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

2.              In 2 batches, arrange the eggplant slices on a broilerproof baking sheet, brush with 2 tablespoons of the oil, and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Broil until charred and tender, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

3.              Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, basil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

4.              Spread half the tomato sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. On top of it, layer a third of the eggplant slices and half the ricotta mixture. Repeat with another layer of eggplant and ricotta. Top with the remaining eggplant and tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the Asiago.

5.              Reduce oven to 400º F. Bake the lasagna until bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Divide the greens among plates, drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil; sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the lasagna.

A community is a mental and spiritual condition of knowing that the place is shared, and that the people who share the place define and limit the possibilities of each other’s lives. It is the knowledge that people have of each other, their concern for each other, their trust in each other, the freedom with which they come and go among themselves.

-Wendell Berry, from The Long-Legged House