“Have you noticed that the narrower the view the more you can see? For the first time I understand how old ladies can sit on their porches for years.”
— Walker Percy (Lancelot)
This is the view from my porch. It is a lovely view of the garden – close enough to feel and see what is growing, but not so close as to notice the weeds or bugs. I can see the horses from here, and the cows. The horizon. I do think I can sit on this porch for years, until I am an old lady.
What’s in the bucket? This will be a good week. End of summer and lots of yummy fall stuff. Eggplant, summer squash or zucchini, broccoli, cabbage, red leaf lettuce, curly kale, turnip greens and beets.
What’s at market: broccoli, curly kale, lacinato kale, turnip greens, mustard greens, beets, lettuce. Circle S Beef: roasts, ground beef. Weekly special: eat your greens – buy one get one free kale, turnips, mustard.
This has been one of my favorite dishes this summer. A great way to use the eggplant and squash for a last bite of the season. I like to add a healthy sprinkle of parmesan cheese!
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JULIA CHILD’S RATATOUILLE 1 pound eggplant 2 green peppers (about 1 cup) 3 tablespoons minced parsley
1Peel the eggplant and cut into lengthwise slices 3/8″ think, about 3″ long and 1″ wide. Scrub the zucchini, slice off the two ends and cut into slices about the same size as the eggplant. Place the vegetables in a bowl and toss with 1 teaspoon salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain and dry each slice in a towel. |
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2 One layer at a time, saute the eggplant and then the zucchini in 4 tablespoons hot olive oil in a 10-12″ skillet for about a minute on each side to brown very lightly. Remove to a side dish. |
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3 In the same skillet, cook the onions and peppers (add an additional 2 tablespoon of olive oil if needed) for about 10 minutes, until tender but not browned. Stir in the garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste. |
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4 Slice tomato pulp into 3/8″ strips. Lay them over the onions and peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until tomatoes have begun to render their juice. Uncover, taste the tomatoes with the juices, raise heat and boil for several minutes until juice has almost entirely evaporated. |
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5 Place a third of the tomatoes mixture in the bottom of a 2 1/2 quart casserole (about 2 1/2″ deep). Sprinkle 1 tablespoon fresh, minced parsley over tomatoes. Arrange half of the eggplant and zucchini on top, then half the remaining tomatoes and parsley. Put in the rest of the eggplant and zucchini and finish with the remaining tomatoes and parsley. |
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6 Cover the casserole and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover, tip the casserole and baste with the rendered juices. Correct seasoning if necessary. Raise heat slightly and cook uncovered about 15 minutes more, basting several times, until juices have |