serves 2

1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes or 2-3 medium size tomatoes chopped/cubed

1/4 cup red onion chopped fine

2 Cucumbers chopped

1 mild pepper (green, cerano etc) chopped fine

Put in large bowl and chill

Dressing:

2 Tablespoons lemon juice or lime juice

4 teaspoons Olive Oil

Chopped fresh Cilantro

!/2 teasoon of salt and pepper each (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon of honey

optional: throw in a pinch of other chopped fresh herbs like flat leaf parsley,dill or oregano, you can also use chopped Romaine Lettuce when in season

optional: add chopped toasted pita! Yum!

Shake together in a covered container and pour over salad, serve imediately. Enjoy!

Serves 4 

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 medium eggplants (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/4–1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1–1 1/2 large lemons)
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1–2 cloves garlic, minced (1/2–1 teaspoon)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

 1. Preheat the oven to 375° F.

 2. Rub 1 tablespoon of the oil over both whole eggplants and place them on a baking sheet. Roast, turning once or twice, until very soft, 30 to 45 minutes depending on size. Let cool.

 3. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a dry, heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat until they start to brown in spots and become fragrant. (Be careful not to overtoast them, as they will burn very quickly once toasted.) Immediately transfer the nuts to a dish to cool.

 4. Cut the eggplants in half and scoop out the flesh. Purée the eggplant flesh in a food processor or finely chop it on a cutting board. Transfer to a bowl.

 5. Add the lemon juice, tahini, garlic, cumin, salt, cayenne, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix until well combined.

 6. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with cilantro or parsley and toasted pine nuts. 

Excerpted from Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt On Vegetables: Seasonal Recipes and Stories from a Community Supported Farm by Farmer John Peterson & Angelic Organics (Gibbs Smith Publisher). Check with your local farm or bookstore for availability. Additional recipes, charts, signed copies of this book, and quantity discounts available at www.AngelicOrganics.com/cookbook.

Potatoes                                   2lb

Shallot, sliced thin                     2 small

Basil, sliced thin                        1/8 cup

Extra Virgin Olive Oil    ½ cup

Basil, minced                            1.5 T.

Salt & pepper                           TT

1. Clean beans, remove ends, snap.  Set aside.
2. Wash potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces.  Place in cold water, add salt, and cook until tender. 
3. While potatoes are cooking, prepare the infused oil.  Place oil and sliced basil into a shallow pan.  Heat oil on medium heat until basil aroma comes through.  Turn heat off, strain oil, and set aside.
4. To cook beans, remove potatoes from stock pot, and add beans to the hot water.  Return to a boil.  Turn heat down to simmer; cook until tender.  5 to 8 minutes.
5. Add cooked beans to hot potatoes, drizzle with infused oil, add minced basil, and season with salt and pepper.

1 package cooked fettuccine
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1 ounce (1/2 cup)
Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated plus more for serving
2 Tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves.

Steps: 

• Place 5 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves in a sauté pan large enough to accommodate the cooked pasta.
  
• Heat over low until the butter is melted.
  
• Turn off the heat and set aside for 5 minutes to allow the sage to flavor the butter.
  
• Cool pasta and add the desired amount to the sauté pan.
  
• Add the Parmesan cheese and cook over low heat, tossing to combine the ingredients and flavors, 1 to 2 minutes.
  
• Adjust the seasonings and serve immediately, passing more cheese at the table.
  
  

Thanks to Ruth Hower, Village Acres' CSA Member.

While this recipe calls for discarding the stems, if you want you can use them too if they aren't too woody. Just cut them into 1-inch segments and add them to the onions after the onions have been cooking for a minute.