Congratulations to our very own Sarah Wertz (Rabbit Run Farm). Her essay,"When Life Gives you Radishes...Keep Planting" got an honorable mention is the National Farmers Market Coalition essay contest!

Sarah Wertz of Rabbit Run Farm, who sells as Prescott and Flagstaff Farmers Markets:

this week at the markets:

Chino Valley market: Thursday 3-6pm

Prescott Valley market: Friday 4-7pm
live music from Cat and Chuck

Prescott market: Saturday 7:30-noon
live music from Patti Cummings and dance performance by Prescott College's Nature and Dance class
guest artist Walker Bidwell

announcement:

Sandor Ellix Katz is coming to Prescott! Sandor is a self-taught fermentation experimentalist and self-described fermentation fetishist and the author of Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods (Chelsea Green, 2003), The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved: Inside America’s Underground Food Movements (Chelsea Green, 2006), and The Art of Fermentation: An In-Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from Around the World (Chelsea Green, 2012, co-authored with Michael Pollan). Sandor has taught hundreds of fermentation workshops around the North America, and soon Prescott will join the list! So…we are looking for local businesses or interested supporters to become sponsors! We need to raise a few hundred dollars for Sandor’s honorarium, and would love all the help we can get! Please contact Allison Jack ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) if you’re interested and able to help. Read the Grist interview with Sandor here. 

recipes:

eggplant with bell pepper, feta and green olives
adapted from epicurious
serves 12

• Olive oil
• 1 large eggplant, cut into six 3/4-inch-thick rounds, then halved to form 12 semicircles
• 1 long slender red bell pepper, cut into six 1/4-inch-thick rings, then halved to form 12 curved strips
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 2 ounces)
• 12 small inner leaves of butter lettuce
• 10 large green Greek olives, pitted, chopped
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano

Pour enough oil into heavy large skillet to coat bottom; heat over medium heat. Add eggplant to skillet, arranging in single layer. Sprinkle eggplant with salt and pepper. Sauté until cooked through, but not browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer eggplant to sheet of foil; reserve skillet.

Arrange 1 bell pepper strip atop rounded edge of each eggplant piece, trimming to fit, if necessary. Sprinkle cheese atop eggplant.

*Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Arrange lettuce leaves on platter. Reheat oil in skillet over medium heat. Place eggplant, cheese side up, into skillet. Cover and cook until cheese softens and begins to melt, about 4 minutes. Place 1 eggplant piece atop each lettuce leaf. Sprinkle each with olives and oregano.

roasted garlic and eggplant soup
adapted from all recipes
serves 8

• 1 bulb garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 (1 1/2 pound) eggplant
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup tomato puree
• 1 dash cayenne pepper
• 1 1/4 cups half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Peel away any excess paper from the bulb of garlic, then cut the top off to expose the cloves. Rub exposed cloves with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil, and set onto the prepared baking sheet. Poke the eggplant all over with a fork; place onto baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven until the garlic has turned golden brown and the eggplant is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool until cool enough to handle. Peel eggplant and chop into large chunks; peel or squeeze the roasted garlic from its skin, and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in broth, then stir in reserved eggplant, roasted garlic, tomato puree, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes.

Once cooked, carefully puree soup in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return soup to the stove in a clean saucepan. Stir in half-and-half, season to taste with salt and pepper; cook over medium-low heat until hot.

eggplant and cucumber salad sandwich
adapted from saveur
serves 4

• Peel of 1 large yellow onion
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
• 7 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 1/2 lbs. large eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/4″-thick slices
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 2 small cucumbers, unpeeled, finely chopped
• 1 small tomato, cored and finely chopped
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 5 tbsp. tahini
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped and mashed into a paste with a little salt
• 4 pitas, warmed
• Amba (mango relish), for serving (*found in Middle Eastern stores)
• 1/4 cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves

Place some tea bags and onion peel in a 4-qt. saucepan with 8 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to lowest setting, add eggs, and cover; let eggs steep until they’ve darkened in color, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a 12″ cast- iron skillet over medium-high heat until oil is shimmering. Season eggplant with salt. Working in batches, add eggplant and cook, flipping once, until golden and very soft, 3–4 minutes. Transfer eggplant to paper towels and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, and olive oil; season cucumber salad with salt and pepper and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the remaining lemon juice, tahini, garlic, and 5 tbsp. ice water. Whisk ingredients until creamy and season with salt; set tahini sauce aside.

To serve, slice off the top quarter of the pita breads and spread some of the tahini mixture on the inside of each pita. Put about 7 slices of eggplant into each pita along with one egg. Add some of the cucumber salad, top with some of the amba, and stuff some of the parsley into each pita. Drizzle the top of each sandwich with the remaining tahini sauce.