This week’s box included: tomatoes, okra, cubanelle peppers, bell pepper, salad cucumber, eggplant, onion, watermelon, giant cabbage.
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I subscribe to a few food-related newsletters from around the country where people talk about what they’re getting in their farm shares (which is maybe what they call a CSA in the northeast?). They’ve all been talking about how cabbage is a staple of their summer boxes, and I just kept thinking, “Not really a thing here.”
Then, surprise! A record-shattering, 4-H grand prize winning, giant cabbage was delivered in our box today. So how do you deal with a 10-pound cabbage? You deal with it in chunks. Sure, it will keep whole for quite a while, but I’m cutting mine into eighths and wrapping each separately No way this household of two can manage to get through all the cabbage quickly.
Down below is a recipe from Smitten Kitchen (one of those Northeastern writers) for Poolside Sesame Slaw. That’s the first thing I’ll do with part of our cabbage (and a cucumber, and a pepper or two). I have just been craving sesame this summer – so the toasted sesame oil and tahini in the dressing are very appealing to me right now. The vegetable I’m actually tiring of right now is the cucumber, so I welcome ideas for “hiding” it in other dishes.
I’m going to use one in the slaw and one in the Sabich Bowl below which will make great use of that eggplant in today’s box as well as a tomato and a little sliced cabbage for garnish.
And there’s a Pan Con Tomate recipe below which I love as an alternative to a tomato sandwich that’s actually easier to eat (tomato sandwiches, at least my tomato sandwiches, are always so messy) and a perfect accompaniment to a salad or a big glass of basil lemonade.
Pan Con Tomate
From Anne Byrn, once the food editor for the AJC, now living in Nashville and writing cookbooks.
Some medium to large ripe tomatoes
Kosher or flaked sea salt
8 slices of sourdough or other sturdy bread
Extra virgin olive oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic, split in half
Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally. Place a box grater into a large bowl and rub the cut slices of tomatoes over the holes of the grater, pushing the tomato into the grater so the flesh grates but the skin stays intact in your hand. Discard the skin. If the flesh seems too watery, pour it through a sieve and let the juices fall into a small saucepan. Reduce these juices for 4 to 5 minutes over medium heat until they are syrupy. Turn off the heat.
Season the grated tomatoes with salt, if desired.
Arrange the slices of bread on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, and preheat the broiler to high. Broil about 4 inches from the heat source until the edges char, which takes 3 to 5 minutes, depending on your oven. Watch them with the oven light on.
Remove the bread from the oven and rub the slices back and forth with the garlic.
To serve, place the garlicky slices on a platter, spoon the sauce over each. Season with more salt, if desired, and drizzle with olive oil. If you reduced the tomato juices, drizzle that syrup over the top. Enjoy!
Sabich Bowls
New York Times
1 1/2 pounds Italian eggplant (1 large), cut into 1-inch cubes (8 cups)
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
1/4 cup tahini
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 heaping cup diced tomato
1/2 cup 1/4-inch cucumber cubes
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
4 cups cooked rice or grains, for serving
Shredded cabbage, pickles (preferably Israeli), hot sauce, hard-boiled or fried eggs, for topping (optional)
Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a large sheet tray, season eggplant with salt and pepper, drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the oil and toss to evenly coat. Push eggplant to one side. In the empty space, combine 1 cup of the chickpeas and 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat, then mix with the eggplant and spread mixture in an even layer. Roast until eggplant is tender and chickpeas are golden and crispy, stirring halfway through, 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the remaining chickpeas with the tahini, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the garlic, soy sauce and ¼ cup of water; pulse to combine. With the machine running, drizzle in the remaining ¼ cup of oil; purée, then season with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumber, parsley and the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice; season with salt and pepper, and mix well.
Divide rice or grains into 4 bowls; top with separate piles of the eggplant mixture, tomato salad and other toppings of choice. Drizzle generously with some of the tahini sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve warm.
Poolside Sesame Slaw
Smittenkitchen.com
Dressing
Make the dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender and run until smooth, scraping down sides once. You can also hand-whisk the ingredients in a bowl, but be vigorous so the chunky ingredients smooth out. Taste and adjust ingredients to your preference.
Assemble the salad: Holding back a little of the peanuts, scallion, and herbs for garnish, add all ingredients to a large bowl and toss with half of the dressing, adding some or all of the remaining dressing to taste. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Sprinkle with reserved peanuts, scallions, and herbs for extra prettiness. Eat right away or bring it somewhere wonderful in a cooler and eat it in a few hours.
Do ahead: The dressing and chopped vegetables (except the cilantro, which might wilt faster), stored separately, will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.