For some reason the saying “what grows together goes together” kept coming to mind while I was writing this packet. All the produce in this week’s share gets along swimmingly and you can mix and match ingredients in salads, simple sautes, sauces, etc. with ease: corn, poblanos, onion and eggplant would make a lovely succotash-like dish (in a very loose way!:) when all cut small and sauteed in some bacon fat or olive oil.
You might want to pick up some herbs (basil and mint in particular if you’re out and about and maybe some cilantro). Otherwise you should be set for lots of fabulous meals with the pinnacle of summer produce in your share. And while I don’t mention a recipe for this because you don’t need one, make tomato sandwiches while the tomatoes last. I eat them almost daily–sometimes I toast the bread and rub it with garlic, then slather on homemade or storebought mayo and then pile on thick slices of tomatoes, some basil and call it good. I never tire of it and this hot weather begs for them.
I just ran across this recipe for Fresh Corn Polenta with Eggplant Sauce and don’t have the time to test it or write it up here but the link should do! I completely trust Yotam Ottlenghi and you’ve seen adaptations of his recipes here before.
Poblano Notes
Roasted Poblano and Onion Tacos
Pappa Al Pomodoro (Tuscan Tomato Bread Soup)
Eggplant, Tomato and Onion Gratin
Corn and Zucchini Fritters
Fennel Notes
Poblano Notes
Poblano peppers have a wide ranging heat level so taste a bit before you use so you know what to expect.
They need to be charred and blistered to remove their skins for most any preparation I’m familiar with. This is simple to do either under the broiler or right on the grate over a gas stop burner or over a hot grill. After they’re nicely blackened I put them in a bowl and cover them with a towel to steam and cool for a bit. Then you can easily peel and core them and remove all the seeds. Now they can be stuffed with other vegetables (Sauteed onions, corn and tomatoes and a little feta or queso fresco would be delicious), ground meat, herbs, cheeses, etc.
They can be chopped up and added to salsas, sauces and soups or scrambles or frittatas. They add a lovely smoky sweet heat to a great variety of dishes.
Roasted Poblano and Onion Tacos
This is a variation on the Mexican dish Rajas. It’s delicious, smoky and easily varied. I’ve included a meat (beef) and vegetarian (potato) option below. You could also add some corn sliced off the cob to this as well.
3 poblano peppers
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
olive oil
6 oz skirt or flank steak (optional), sliced thinly against the grain
3 potatoes (optional) cut into small dice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt & pepper,
1/3 cup of heavy cream (or sour cream)
8-10 small corn tortillas
Chopped cilantro and lime wedges for topping (optional)
Roast the peppers under the broiler or directly over the gas flame on the stove top, until they’re black and blistered all around. Set in a bowl to cool and cover with a plate or towel. They are easier to peel if you let them steam a bit like this. When cool, peel and seed the peppers and cut them into ½-inch wide strips.
Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot add the flank steak strips in a single layer, if using, sprinkle generously with salt and sear on both sides for about 1 minute each. It cooks really quickly and gets tough quickly so do not overcook. Remove from pan onto a plate.
Add the onions to the same skillet with a little more oil and the cumin. Sauté until beginning to brown and soften. If you are using potatoes (instead of or in addition to the beef) add the diced potato and cook on medium-high heat, stirring often until the potatoes are tender.
Add the poblano strips and heat them through, then add the meat back in (if using), and then add the cream and a few grinds of black pepper and quickly bring to a boil.
Serve the mixture on warmed tortillas with a little fresh cilantro and a squeeze of limejuice.
Eggplant, Tomato and Onion Gratin
–adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters
Simple and delicious.
2 1/2 Cortland onions
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons butter
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
3 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
1 ½ eggplants (more or less)
3 medium to large heirloom tomatoes
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Peel and chop both the onions and garlic very finely and sauté them in half the butter and half the oil for about five minutes with the thyme leaves, bay leaf and salt and pepper.
Slice the eggplants into ¼-inch-thick slices. Slice the tomatoes slightly thicker.
Butter a shallow baking dish. Remove the bay leaf from the onions and spread them over the bottom of the dish. Cover with overlapping rows of alternate tomato and eggplant slices. Each slice should cover two thirds of the preceding one. Season generously with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until the eggplant is very soft. Uncover for the last 15 minutes or earlier if the tomatoes are giving up too much liquid. Brush or spoon the juices over the top occasionally to prevent the top layer form drying out.
This is a perfect accompaniment to grilled or roasted lamb or as is more common in my household with a simple frittata or green salad and a piece of bread.
Pappa al Pomodoro
This is a classic Tuscan soup. I realize you don’t have basil in your share this week but this soup is just too good so pick up some basil if you can and make it.
4 pounds tomatoes (combo of heirloom and slicers if fine)
1/3 cup good olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 large onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt
½ pound stale 1-inch bread cubes (4 cups)
1 cup basil leaves, torn
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut a slit in the base of each tomato. Add the tomatoes to the boiling water and blanch just until the skins start to split, about 10 seconds. Transfer the blanched tomatoes to a bowl.
Peel and halve the tomatoes crosswise. Working over a mesh strainer set over a bowl, pry out the seeds and discard them. Now coarsely chop the tomatoes and add them to the juice in the bowl.
Wipe out the pot and heat the 1/3 cup of olive oil. Add the onion and cook over medium to medium-high heat, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and red pepper flakes and season with salt. Cover partially and simmer over moderately high heat until the tomatoes have cooked down, about 25 minutes.
Add the bread to the soup and cook, mashing the bread until fully incorporated, and season with salt. Stir in the basil leaves. Spoon the soup into shallow bowls, drizzle with a bit more of the best olive oil you have. The soup should be quite thick and will continue to thicken as it sits. You can thin it with a bit of water or broth if you’d like it thinner.
Corn and Zucchini Fritters
This is a variation of the recipe you got early in the season. The corn and zucchini combination is a winning one.
1 1/2 lbs zucchini or any summer squash
2-3 ears of corn
about 3 tablespoons finely diced onions
2 eggs
1/3 cup cold water
1/3 cup flour
Salt and Pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons oregano, parsley or basil, chopped (optional)
Olive or other oil for frying
Grate the zucchini/squash on the large holes of a grater onto a clean kitchen towel. Sprinkle with some salt and let it rest while you gather and prep the remaining ingredients.
Wrap the zucchini in the towel and wring as much liquid out of it as possible, discarding the liquid.
Cook the ears of corn in boiling water for just a minute or two. Cut the kernels off the cob. If you do this in a large bowl the kernels will be pretty much contained and not fly all over the kitchen.
In a medium bowl whisk the eggs with the water and flour and then add the drained zucchini, onion, corn, cumin and freshly ground pepper. Add herbs if you’re using any. Mix well and taste and adjust seasoning.
Add a scant tablespoon of oil to a large skillet. Place the pan over medium-high heat. Spoon about 3 tablespoons (about a ¼ cup) of batter into the pan. Depending on the size of your pan you should be able to fry about 3-5 at once. Flatten them a bit with the back of a spatula and cook until the fritters are golden brown on each side, 4 to 6 minutes.
Serve with a simple fresh salsa or tomato sauce or some Greek yogurt or just plain.
Fennel Notes
Fennel takes well to citrus (lemon and orange zest and juice), cured black olives, tomatoes, pork, etc.
Slice it very thinly and add it to a green salad with a lemony dressing. You could toss some chopped olives and capers and some shavings of a hard cheese in as well.
Or you could make the fennel soffrito I included a while back.