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This week’s share will include:

• Veggies: Lettuce, chard, squash, cukes, celery, eggplant, carrots, green cabbage, sweet onions, and choice of herbs (mint, parsley, garlic chives). Reminder to use the “extras” bin for anything you don’t want to take
• Add-on shares:
  • Mushrooms: TBD
  • Fruit: black plums & cherries
  • Flowers: sunflowers
• For those with half shares, this is “B” week. 

Serving Suggestions:

• This past weekend I was reminded that sometimes the effort in the kitchen is truly worth it. I decided to make a batch of fried eggplant cutlets and the results were amazing. We had friends visiting while I was making them and they were asking me about my process which I guess I take for granted after all these years. So here’s what I do…
  • Trim off the bottom and stem of the eggplant.
  • Cut a thin slice off each side to expose the flesh so you don’t end up with a cutlet that is all skin. If you want you can peel the whole thing but I like to think keeping a ribbon of skin on each slice helps keep things together as they fry.
  • Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch pieces. Do this long ways while it’s laying on it’s side so you have nice wide planks with each slice.
  • In a colander in the sink, layer your eggplant slices, with a generous salting of each layer before adding more slices. Then weigh them down to squeeze out some of the bitterness and moisture. I put a small plate, then a saucepan, then my Dutch oven. Rinse and pat dry after they drain for about 60min.
  • Create your breading station using three pie tins…
    • Flour
    • 2 eggs w/ a splash of water
    • Panko
    • Season the flour and panko liberally with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano, and smoked paprika. You should see the seasoning and you should also taste it, drop a pinch of panko on your tongue and if you don’t immediately taste your seasoning, you went too light.
  • Each slice gets coated on both sides in the flour, then egg wash, then panko. Really press on the panko and aim for full coverage.
  • In a heavy skillet, heat enough oil to fully cover the bottom of the pan and then a tiny bit more. You want the cutlets to have oil coming up their sides once you put them in the pan. Be ready with a splatter screen and your vent hood.
  • Working in batches, fry the breaded slices until well browned on both sides. Don’t try to flip too early or you’ll lose your coating. The first batch will take the longest to cook. You may need to adjust your heat as you work.
  • Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to wick away the excess oil then quickly slide on a wire rack so condensation doesn’t make the bottom soggy. Sprinkle with some salt while still warm.
  • Enjoy straight from the rack while you fry the rest. Or, serve on a good roll that you topped with sauce and cheese before putting under the broiler for a wonderful eggplant parm sandwich.