CSA Box recipes – summer’s bounty

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“Summer cooking implies a sense of immediacy, a capacity to capture the essence of the fleeting moment.” Elizabeth David, food writer (1913-1992). The above painting is by Charles Demuth, a Lancaster, PA painter who specialized in watercolors.

Hi there,

This summer, I decided to subscribe to Honey Brook Organic Farms for a produce box every week in the summer and early fall. I figured it would exercise the brain cells to be presented with a challenge every week. Sometimes, it has been an unwelcome challenge such as when the box has kale. I cannot abide kale but I am working on it. Sorry, I have gone off on a tangent. This week’s box was full of tomatoes and beautiful eggplant. So what follows is what I did with my mystery box bounty.

CANDIED TOMATOES

These tomatoes are great when sundried tomatoes are called for but these are much juicier and luscious. Pieces of ripe summer tomato are slow roasted with olive oil until they taste like candy.

This is definitely a bogo. If you pour off the oil,, you get a wonderful roasted tomato oil that can be used on a salad. But the tomatoes and oil are beyond delicious over pasta.

The idea for these tomatoes came from Sicilian writer Corrado Sofia who reminisces about how the women on his father’s farm used to make them in the leftover heat of the bread oven after the loaves came out. This is why in this recipe you keep turning the oven down as the tomatoes bake to recreate the gradually cooling bread oven.

Recipe

2 lbs of large cherry tomatoes, 1 cup of herb seasoned olive oil, salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the tomatoes in half. Arrange tomatoes on an oiled sheet pan. Coat the tomatoes will oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, then lower heat to 350 degrees and bake another 30 minutes. Turn heat to 300 degrees, and bake 30 more minutes, or until edges are slightly darkened. If edges are not yet colored, turn heat down to 250 and bake another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove tomatoes from the oven. Cool 20 minutes. Transfer them to a shallow glass or china dish and pour their oil over them. Let mellow, uncovered, at room temperature 4 to 6 hours.

3. Layer in a storage container, pouring in their oil, and refrigerate. To serve, drain off all oil from tomatoes and offer at room temperature. Taste for seasoning. Freeze tomatoes in their oil in sealed plastic containers up to 3 months.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

This eggplant is a simple recipe but making the sauce with chopped eggplant ramps up the taste a notch.

Recipe

  • 2 MEDIUM SIZED ITALIAN EGGPLANT
  • 1/3 CUP OF SEASONED OLIVE OIL
  • 1 cup of shredded parmesan
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1 CAN OF CRUSHED TOMATOES
  • 1 SWEET ONION DICED
  • 1/2 CUP OF DICED EGGPLANT
  • 1/4 CHOPPED PARSLEY AND BASIL
  • 2 TABLESPOONS OF EVOO
  • 2 TABLESPOONS OF GARLIC PASTE
  • SALT AND PEPPER
  1. Cut the eggplant into 1/2 inch round
  2. Baste the larger sized slices with the seasoned olive oil and dice the smaller pieces
  3. Put slices in an iar fryer until golden brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes
  4. While the eggplant is frying warm the EVOO in a pan
  5. Add everything but the tomatoes and sauté until golden and soft
  6. Add the large can of crushed tomatoes and saute another 10 minutes
  7. Remove eggplant from the oven
  8. Put a scant amount of tomato sauce in an oven proof dish
  9. Make a single layer of eggplant
  10. Dot with tomato sauce and cover with shredded parmesan
  11. Repeat until top layer with should be finished with shredded parmesan and shredded mozzarella
  12. Put in an oven set at 350 degrees and bake for approximately 30 minutes

CAPRESE SALAD

The salad is named after the island of Capri, where it is believed to have originated. It is commonly believed that it was originally made to pay homage to the Italian flag. When I make this salad, I like to add thick slices of white peaches. It add another flavor dimension to a salad that many people have become accustomed to eating.

Recipe

  • 3 large heirloom tomatoes of different colors
  • 2 large white peaches
  • sliced mozzarella
  • EVOO
  • basalmic glaze
  • basil chiffonade
  • slice the tomatoes into fat slice
  • Overlap the tomatoes and peaches into an eye pleasing design
  • drizzle with olive oil
  • drizzle basaltic glaze
  • top with chiffonade of basil

I hope you enjoy these simple but delicious recipes.

Talk soon, ❤️💕 Bernadette

I shared this at Come join in the fun! First Wednesday of every month. #whatsonyourplateblogchallenge #woypbc. Please stop over there and read some very good blogs.

39 responses to “CSA Box recipes – summer’s bounty”

  1. Darlene – British Columbia, Canada – Writer of children's stories, short stories and travel articles. https://twitter.com/#!/supermegawoman http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=201634059868404&id=631897250&ref=notif&notif_t=like#!/pages/Darlene-Foster-Writer/362236842733
    Darlene says:

    I love all of these recipes. I must ask what is EVOO and what can I use as a substitute?

      • Darlene – British Columbia, Canada – Writer of children's stories, short stories and travel articles. https://twitter.com/#!/supermegawoman http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=201634059868404&id=631897250&ref=notif&notif_t=like#!/pages/Darlene-Foster-Writer/362236842733
        Darlene says:

        Oh my. I thought it was something you could only get in the States!! I have lots of this in Spain. Thanks!!

  2. Oh my! These are the most wonderful recipes. I dry tomatoes in the food dehydrayder and call it tomato candy but this with the added oil for salads etc is an amazing thought. Thanks a bunch. Kale is not on my go to list. It does make good compost.

  3. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen – I'm a writer, cook, gardener, photographer, poet, quilter, and accomplished daydreamer. I'm also a wife, mother, grandmother, sister. cousin, aunt, and friend, no particular order on any given day. I've been a writer all my life, newspaper reporter and columnist, radio news writer, and magazine contributor, and poet and short-story writer as the spirit moves. Now, I turn my attention to my cookbook, the blog, and a cooking column "Memorable Meals," which runs in our county newspaper. Besides my family, I love dogs, cats, good coffee, chocolate, and my never-dwindling pile of books I intend to read. Our family ran a small Vermont Inn for 18 years, with our focus on local, organic ingredients. I cook from scratch, and try not to use anything that has ingredients I cannot pronounce! After many years of daily serving up local delicacies, cooking classes, and catering, we are now only open for special events, and the odd cooking class. We also host musicians and artists, having helped produce a musical festival and other musical events for nearly 20 years. Many incredible artists have found a place at our table. Wonderful experiences, we will treasure always. My family and friends are my practice subjects. With a family that includes nut, peanut, tree fruit, and vegetable allergies, gluten intolerance, dairy intolerance, vegetarians, vegans, heart conscious, and a couple of picky eaters, there has to be a few quick tricks in the book to keep everyone fed and happy! Personally, I do not eat red meat or most full-fat dairy (usually) for health reasons, making the occasional exception at Thanksgiving and Christmas or our anniversary if the duck is locally raised. I do eat fish and seafood, so I try to come up with alternatives and substitutions when available. I serve local organic eggs and cheeses to my family who can tolerate dairy (My husband recently had a heart attack, and I need to watch my own cholesterol so I am careful, but have been known to let a little piece of really good cheese accidentally fall on my plate!). I believe strongly that eating in a way that is good for our planet is also good for our bodies, and I try to educated myself about our food sources! I cook by the seasons and draw on inspiration from the strong and talented women in my family who came before me, as well as the youth in the family who look at the world with fresh eyes. Food links us all, whether sharing a meal, cooking it together, or writing about it for others to enjoy. I love taking an old recipe and giving it a modern spin, especially if I can make it a littler healthier and use foods that are kinder to the Earth and to our bodies. I believe strongly in sustainable, delicious eating of whole foods, and the wonderful flavors we have at our fingertips! And finally, I love conversing with all the talented cooks and chefs out there who dot the globe! It's a wonderful, world full of culinary pen pals, and I cherish them all! XXXOOO Dorothy
    Dorothy’s New Vintage Kitchen says:

    The tomatoes sound amazing! I’m definitely going to give it a try.

  4. Jacqui Murray – Laguna Hills, CA. – Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular prehistoric fiction saga, Man vs. Nature which explores seminal events in man’s evolution one trilogy at a time. She is also the author of the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers and Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. Her non-fiction includes over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, reviews as an Amazon Vine Voice, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Look for her next prehistoric fiction, Savage Land.
    Jacqui Murray says:

    I have never heard of candied tomatoes. How amazing! I just did virtually canning with my sister of her tomato bounty. I bet she has a few more we could try this with.

      • Jacqui Murray – Laguna Hills, CA. – Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular prehistoric fiction saga, Man vs. Nature which explores seminal events in man’s evolution one trilogy at a time. She is also the author of the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers and Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. Her non-fiction includes over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, reviews as an Amazon Vine Voice, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Look for her next prehistoric fiction, Savage Land.
        Jacqui Murray says:

        We had fun with it. Then she marked the finished jars so we’d open them on my next visit. Fun times.

        Thanks for the tomato memories!

  5. Linda K – Hi, my name is Linda. I’m just a regular home cook in Toronto who decided to take a leap and start a cooking blog. My blog is meant to be a collection of my favorite recipes, as well as new recipes I discover along the way. I hope I will inspire you to get into your kitchen and try something new.
    Linda K says:

    One of my favorite summer salads! Love the idea of adding in the apple or peaches to change it up.

  6. I’m not fond of kale either – 1300 posts and I have only used it once in a fruit smoothie which was pretty good. The reccipe came from a favorite blogger… I might share a CSA box but not on my own!

  7. OMG! All things I love. First off the art is beautiful. I could never work with water colors myself but I do love to paint with oils and acrylics when I have the time. The there is the tomatoes and eggplant, yum! Thank you for sharing. It brightened my day and my lunch just reading about it those three recipes!

  8. Great summer recipes! Making dried tomatoes at home is so enjoyable. The paining is beautiful.. 🙂

  9. There is NOTHING like fresh produce when we cook. Nearby we have a delightful local farm with their fields all around the farmstand. Just bought some fresh corn from there for tonight. Now, if only I had the energy to make that eggplant Parmesan too. 🙂

  10. the Painted Apron – Life is all about creativity for me, as long as I'm creating something I am happy! I hope I will inspire your daily life and give you ideas for your own wonderful creations!
    the Painted Apron says:

    I love roasted tomatoes, your method sounds amazing! The eggplant looks divine also and I love the painting and the quote…have a great weekend Bernadette!
    Jenna

  11. Sandy – Reformed techie. Street photographer. Writer, reader and foodie. I blog about travel, culture and food. I write about people. Find me at TheSandyChronicles.com
    SandyL says:

    Ha! I had exactly the same experience – One summer I subscribed to a farmers market box to support local farmers and challenge myself to cook with more vegetables. Loved it all, except the kate. It’s the only veg I know that got tougher when I cooked it?!! Your recipes here look so good. I will try them for sure.

  12. I hear you about unwelcome guests in the produce box! We were getting brussel sprouts so often that I think we tired of them.

    Your food is soooo delicious! I love the look & idea of candied tomatoes!

      • Right after I sent this response, I saw a post on IG for a delicious roasted brussel sprout salad. And then, several hours later, Mom called and said she had a bunch of ugly veg from our Fruit&Veg Fairy Godfather. Humours serendipity?!!!

  13. D. Wallace Peach – 30 Miles beyond the edge of civilization, Oregon – I'm an adventurer in writing, peering under rocks in my garden for secret magic. I can't stop writing. My stories want to explode from my head. They demand my attention and surge from my fingertips faster than I can put them to paper. I love what I do.
    D. Wallace Peach says:

    Yum, yum, and yum, Bernadette. I saw the photo of the candied tomatoes and made a little gasp. Lol. Everything looks so good! We eat a lot of veggies from our garden, including kale, but we’re too cold to grow tomatoes, sadly. I’ll have to hit a farm stand. (And I’m not a huge fan of kale either, but I make “kale chips” and the family can’t get enough of them. 🙂 ) Thanks for the recipes!

      • D. Wallace Peach – 30 Miles beyond the edge of civilization, Oregon – I'm an adventurer in writing, peering under rocks in my garden for secret magic. I can't stop writing. My stories want to explode from my head. They demand my attention and surge from my fingertips faster than I can put them to paper. I love what I do.
        D. Wallace Peach says:

        Ha ha. I’m that way about lima beans. I just can’t tolerate them. Something about the consistency that must relate back to childhood. Lol.

  14. Karen – New England – I travel the back roads of the world, sharing great food and interesting places and enjoyable pastimes.
    Karen says:

    Oh my, all these recipes sound so good. A perfect way to enjoy the last of summer’s bounty.

  15. These recipes look amazing! I am with you about the kale. I try to like it but… Why not use Swiss chard instead, I say? A much more agreeable green. 😁

    Deb

  16. Just when I thought there was nothing better than fresh summer tomatoes…you went and turned them into oven-roasted candy?! My mouth is watering over here!! 🙂

  17. I think the CSA boxes are a great way to try new things to eat and cook. Your recipes look delicious.

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