Back in the saddle

Adorable tiny graffiti eggplant!

After quite the hiatus, I'm back to cooking with the amazing produce from my CSA.  Soon I hope to write a bit about my food life while I was in Russia, but in the meantime, more seasonal Jersey veggies.  Since I only arrived on Friday after a 32-hour journey home, my roommate was kind enough to visit the farm for me.  This week's haul: eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes (unlimited pick-your-own!), onions, bell peppers, jalapenos, Hungarian wax peppers (and some rather similar looking sweet peppers, but we quickly discovered you can distinguish them by smell), cucumber, butternut squash and a mix of herbs.  This is an entirely different ball game from the greens of June.

Eggplant draining in the sink

Recently, I came across a recipe for ratatouille from my favorite, Mark Bittman, on the NY Times food blog.  Ratatouille is great for being entirely vegetarian, and yet a truly comforting dish.  But most importantly: all of the ingredients for this version were found in my farm share this week.  This is a sign.  So, on Saturday, in between catching up on emails, TV & work, I took a break to do some cooking.  I'd forgotten how much I enjoy using my knives and my non-stick skillet, but I do miss the gas stove I had in Russia.  I set to chopping while the eggplant was draining in the sink, and before I knew it, the dish was done.  Following Bittman's advice, I let it set for a while, to let the flavors meld and perhaps to try it cold.  Couldn't wait that long, but it was delicious regardless.

Steaming hot ratatouille