Cantaloupe, Eggplant, Poblanos & More - 8/4

For the last couple of weeks we've had an abundance of Wayne County-grown produce and haven't needed to go to the Finger Lakes Produce Auction to finish filling your crates. We love the auction and the people we see there, but we also love being able pick and pack everything on Tuesday AM! This week, you'll see cantaloupe and eggplant from Bodine Farms as new additions to the crate. We've also added poblano peppers from the Hernandez Family (family friends who raise peppers but also work on local farms). Kendra from Burnap Farms supplied lettuce this week from her hydroponic lettuce gardens. This is exceptional lettuce, and will keep extremely well in your fridge (in the package it came in), don't wash it until you're ready to use it. If you run out, it's something she sells at Burnap Farm Market on Maple Street in Sodus!

Thank you for supporting local farmers through Victory Farm Collective!

- Trinity & team

Eggplant Parmesan

Prep Time: 45mins | Cook Time: 30mins | Servings: 4

· 2 medium eggplant

· 1/2 C unbleached all-purpose flour (or any flour of choice)

· 2 cup panko bread crumbs

· 4 Tbsp parmesan (2 T nutritional yeast for vegan)

· 2 tsp dried oregano (or sub 2 tsp fresh per 1 tsp dried)

· 1/2 tsp sea salt

· 1 cup milk (use plain soy or almond milk for vegan)

· 2 tsp cornstarch

Pasta & Sauce

· 16 ounces pasta (such as linguini, sub GF or veggie noodles if desired)

· 4 cups marinara sauce

1. Slice eggplant into thin rounds slightly less than 1/2 inch thick, and sprinkle each side liberally with sea salt. Arrange in a circular pattern in a colander and place in the sink to draw out the bitter taste of the eggplant.

2. Let rest for 15 minutes, then rinse and arrange on a clean absorbent kitchen towel. Top with another clean dish towel and lay a baking sheet on top. Place something heavy on top, to thoroughly dry for at least 10 minutes.

3. In the meantime, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and line a baking sheet with foil and spritz with nonstick spray. Also, if making pasta, bring water to a boil in a large saucepan.

4. Prepare your dipping stations by placing almond milk + cornstarch in one bowl; flour in another bowl; and bread crumbs + sea salt + oregano + parmesan (or nutritional yeast) in another bowl.

5. Once thoroughly dry, dip eggplant slices in flour, then almond milk mixture, then breadcrumbs. Arrange on the baking sheet and pop in oven to bake for a total of 20-30 minutes.

6. IMPORTANT STEP: While the eggplant is in the oven, bring a large skillet to medium heat. Once hot, add 2 Tbsp olive oil and pull 3-4 eggplant rounds out of the oven at a time and sauté to give them extra crisp and texture. Cook for ~2 minutes on each side (or browned) and then return to oven to continue crisping. Do this in batches until all rounds are browned.

7. While eggplant is browning in the oven, prepare marinara.

8. Once done cooking, drain pasta and cover with a towel to keep warm. Set aside.

To serve: Plate pasta and eggplant slices and marinara in a dish as a dipping sauce. Top with parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast. Leftovers don’t really reheat well, so it’s best when fresh. https://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-eggplant-parmesan/

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Servings: 3

· 3 large poblano peppers

· 1 T oil

· 1 red onion finely chopped

· 3 garlic cloves finely chopped

· 1 medium tomato chopped

· 1/4 C green peas

· 1/4 C corn

· 1/4 C chopped red pepper

· 3/4 C black beans

· 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

· 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

· 1/2 tsp cumin powder

· 1/4 tsp chili powder

· 2 T chopped cilantro

· juice of 1 small lime

· salt to taste

· 1/3 C mozzarella

1. Heat the oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with foil.

2. Brush the peppers ith oil and place on the sheet, broil for 5-7 minutes or until light blisters develop, turning once.

3. While the peppers are in the oven, make the stuffing. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add chopped onions & garlic. Cook 2-3 minutes.

4. Add chopped tomatoes and cook another 2-3 minutes.

5. Add corn, peas, red pepper and black beans.

6. Add all the spices and cook for another 2 minutes.

7. Add the cilantro and remove from heat. Squeeze in the lime juice. Stuffing is now done.

Fill the peppers

1. Once done, remove the peppers from the oven, let cool 2 minutes then peel the skin as much as possible. Make a cut in the center and remove the seeds. Preheat the oven to 375.

2. Stuff the filling in the de-seeded peppers.

3. Sprinkle cheese on the stuffed peppers.

4. Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

https://www.cookwithmanali.com/vegetarian-stuffed-poblano-peppers/