Summer of seasonal produce and ratatouille too

It’s been great eating fresh, local produce this summer from my CSA share. Here’s a photographic recap of what ripened during June, July, and August in Connecticut. Scroll to the bottom to see a photo of what I received in my six shares so far. (There’s more to come in September and October.)

Thanks to Domingo A. Medina for the photo of us with the garlic.

We worked at Boulder Knoll Community Farm to harvest the garlic. Hunched over in a slight drizzle, I pulled weed after weed, enjoying the spiders and worms that crawled and shimmied their way through the loose soil. But the real fun came with the garlic. The weather cleared, and with the moisture gone, it was safe to harvest the bed. Grabbing each one at the base with a slow steady pull, up they came with a scent of garlic and a big ball of soil clutching to the roots.

I love seeing what I get in my basket and then planning meals around it.

I made this ratatouille almost entirely from the local produce I picked up on Saturday: eggplant, squash, bell pepper, tomatoes, scallions, and garlic, served with local marinated cucumbers and a whole grain brown rice mix (from the supermarket).

Ratatouille recipe

Adapted from Tribune newspapers

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large eggplant, cut into chunks
• 3 small squash, cut into chunks
• 1 bell pepper, cut into chunks
• 6 medium tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 10 scallions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• dried herbs to taste: rosemary, thyme, basil (The recipe called for fresh, but I didn’t have any.)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the eggplant, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Remove it to a bowl.
2. Repeat the process with the squash and bell pepper, cooking for about 5 minutes.
3. Repeat with the scallions, garlic, and herbs, cooking for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, and cook for about 10 minutes.
4. Return everything to the skillet. Cover, and cook for about 5 minutes longer. Add the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.

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