My Aunt Sarah’s Tomato Pie
My aunt made this pie when I was a kid, and it was so tasty I asked for the recipe. I’m recording it here, so in case I ever lose her handwritten note, I won’t have lost this perfect summer pie.
It’s easy enough for a kid to help make, and fun with layers of cheese and tomatoes and some decorating with basil at the end. I often make double this recipe for our family of four.
Cheers to my aunt Sarah, for making tomato season even better!
Ingredients:
1 9 inch pie crust (unbaked)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
8 oz mozzarella cheese, grated (or a blend with mozzarella)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 Tbsp fresh basil, cut in chiffonade (reserve some whole leaves to decorate pie)
3-4 Tomatoes (more colors, more fun)
2 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Optional additions at the mozzarella layer stage: an ear worth of fresh sweet corn kernels, 1 diced red bell pepper (or a spicy pepper if you want to kick it up), other herbs besides basil, chopped greens for a green layer or mixed in with mozzarella.
1. Make pie crust, if applicable.
2. Preheat oven to 400F.
3. Spread dijon mustard across the bottom of the unbaked pie crust.
4. Sprinkle grated cheese and garlic into pie crust to make an even layer.
5. Add basil and any other little things (like fresh sweet corn kernels cut off the cob, etc from the optionals above).
6. Slice tomatoes about a 1/4 inch thick or so, and layer over the top of the mozzarella, overlapping to make a nice tomato surface.
7. Gently drizzle olive oil around over the tomatoes to get some good coverage.
8. Sprinkle salt and pepper across the surface of the tomatoes.
9. Bake for about 40 minutes until tomatoes are nicely cooked through and the cheese has bubbled, and crust is cooked.
10. Serve either hot or cold, with a few basil leaves as garnish. If serving hot, let cool a few minutes for the cheese and tomato liquids to settle.
From Sarah Voiland, 2021.
Ali’s Eggplant Parmesan
Direct from our Operations and Harvest Manager, Ali Jacobs, who makes this recipe every year in big batches!
This recipe can be doubled, tripled, quadrupled, I usually make about 5 at once in half sheet catering pans and freeze them for the winter, freeze before baking, to cook from frozen let defrost overnight in fridge, then cook normally. This is not a school night recipe, it’s complicated and involves a lot of time and utensils, that’s why I like to make multiples so I’m only doing the effort once. It can also be a great family project to do with kids, even if they’re not big eggplant fans they’ll enjoy the breading process and layering the final casserole.
Ingredients:
1 cup olive oil
1-2 Eggplants
2-3 cups Breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp salt (or to taste)
1 cup flour
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
Fresh Oregano – 4-5 Tbsp
Fresh Basil – 4-5 Tbsp
2 Qt Tomato sauce or Heirloom Tomato Puree
2 lb fresh Mozzarella Cheese (can use shredded if you want, but better ingredients = better flavor)
1 Qt ricotta cheese
1-2 cups parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Slice eggplant into 1/4-1/2 inch slices.
3. Prepare a work area with a large plate or bowl of flour, a bowl of the egg and milk mixed together, and a plate or bowl of the breadcrumbs, herbs and salt mixed together. (You can also add some parmesan to the breadcrumb mixture for extra cheesiness).
4. In order, dip a slice of eggplant into the flour, making sure to cover all sides, then into the egg mixture, then into the breadcrumbs.
5. Place breaded eggplant slices onto a baking sheet that has been generously greased with olive oil.
6. Using a basting brush or oil sprayer to lightly oil the tops of the breaded eggplant slices. If you don’t have either of these you can drizzle oil quickly over the surface of the eggplant, however, be careful not to put too much on or they will become soggy.
7. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes or until the breading has developed a crispy crust and the eggplant is cooked through.
8. Remove from oven and set aside.
9. Slice the mozzarella as thinly as possible, ideally about 1/4 inch thick slices.
10. In a deep 9×13 or larger casserole dish begin to layer your ingredients. Cover the bottom of the pan in a coating of sauce, this doesn’t need to be thick, just ensure it’s fully covered, then place a single layer of eggplant slices, don’t worry about holes between them, follow with a layer of cheese, I like to be a little conservative with the mozzarella so that it will get into every layer of the casserole, and fill in the gaps between with ricotta, you don’t need to have a perfectly even distribution of cheese, it’s going to melt and move, just get a slice or dollop every couple inches across the whole surface. Follow with a sprinkle of parmesan.
11. Continue layering, sauce, eggplant, cheese. I use a bit more sauce in the middle layers than I did on the bottom. You should end up with about 3 layers of eggplant.
12, On the top layer put an extra layer of sauce and then put the remainder of the parmesan (or to taste).
13. Bake in the oven at 375F, covered, for half an hour, then uncover and bake for another 15-30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese on top is golden brown.
Leftover components can be used to make another, smaller casserole, or eggplant ricotta rolls, or anything else you can think of.
From Ali Jacobs, 2019.
Eminently Adjustable Spicy Garlic Basil Lo Mein
A recipe from long-time CSA member Cheryl Munn! It features gluten-free ingredients. This recipe plays very well with seasonal adjusting and making with the produce that’s ready right now. To honor that, I added “Eminently Adjustable” to her title, highlighting the excellent potential for local eating contained within.
You can easily get creative, subbing other onion family crops for shallots, other greens or broccoli for the bok choy or cabbage, something else flavorful for the peppers, and such. This here is a dish that is great fresh, but also as a lunch for the next day (or days if you like to make a bunch).
Sauce:
3/4 cup vegetable broth or water
1/3 cup low sodium gluten free tamari
2 Tbsp chili paste, or 1 Tbsp tomato paste and 1-2 Tbsp sriracha [use all tomato paste if you don’t want it spicy]
3 Tbsp coconut sugar or 80 milligrams pure stevia
1 Tbsp dried basil or 1/3 cup fresh chopped
1 Tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 Tbsp arrowroot
Lo Mein:
1 lb gluten free brown rice spaghetti, 14 oz brown rice fettuccine or Lo Mein noodles, cooked
12 ozs baby bok choy or cabbage, cut into 1/4″ strips
1 sweet red pepper diced or sliced thin
1 yellow pepper diced or sliced thin
1 lb carrots julienned (rainbow carrots would be good in this)
2 stalks celery diced
1/3 cup finely minced shallots
5 large garlic cloves minced
Directions:
Add ingredients for sauce, except arrowroot, to a bowl and whisk together. Add arrowroot, whisk and set aside. [a sub option for arrowroot powder is corn starch]
Cook pasta or lo mein noodles according to package directions, rinse and set aside.
While the noodles are cooking, prep vegetables as directed above. Put prepared vegetables except bok choy or cabbage in a large wok. Cook vegetables on medium high 3 minutes, stir to keep from burning. Place cover on wok and cook 3-4 minutes. Remove lid, add bok choy or cabbage to wok and stir into other vegetables. Cook another 3 minutes. Add sauce to vegetables, stir, let simmer 2 minutes to thicken. Shut off heat, add noodles, stir until well mixed. Serve!
Recipe and photos from Cheryl Munn, 2018
Basil
Basics
This herb with various sweet and spicy flavor profiles is popular in a variety of cuisines such as Italian, Thai, and Vietnamese. Basil is a member of the mint family, and you may notice that some varieties have a familiar minty note. We grow Genovese (also known as Sweet), Lemon, Tulsi, Red Rubin, and a few other types of basil.
There are over 30 different types of basil in the world, including Thai, Cinnamon, Tulsi, Lemon, and Purple Ruffles. In Hindu traditions, Tulsi (also known as holy basil) represents love and purification. Basil is also considered an aphrodisiac, and is linked to courtship rituals in several countries. Read more about the fascinating uses and history of basil in this guide from the Herb Society of America.
Cooking Tips
Sweet basil is the most popular variety in our area and great for Italian style cooking.
Pick off leaves and lay over slices of tomatoes with fresh mozzarella cheese.
If you’re making a big batch of pesto, try freezing cubes of it in ice-cube trays and pop out a few servings whenever you need them.
To keep basil as fresh as possible, do not put it in the refrigerator! Place the stems upright in a glass of water, cover loosely with a plastic bag, and place on the countertop.
Pesto
Putting up pesto for winter is a great idea when basil is plentiful. Once made, pesto freezes really well in ice cube trays or other portion-sized containers. We have bulk basil available for ordering and also basil and parsley in the PYO patch.
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 cup parsley sprigs
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients and pulse until desired smoothness is reached. Have with fresh diced tomatoes on pasta or a sandwich.
Tomato Basil Salad
3 large tomatoes, chopped
1 small bunch fresh basil, chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh mozzarella
2 Tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients together and marinate. Pour off extra liquid as desired.
Panzanella: Tomato and Bread Salad
1/2 small baguette (about 12 inches long)
1 large garlic clove, mashed
Olive oil for brushing
6 medium to large Red Fire Farm tomatoes, cut into large chunks
1/2 medium onion chopped
3 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh basil
4 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
Preheat oven to 300ºF.
Split the baguette lengthwise. Rub the cut side of one-half of the bread very well with the mashed garlic. Brush liberally with olive oil. Cut the baguette half in half again lengthwise, and then cut these strips into 3/4 inch pieces. Place the croutons on a baking sheet, crust side down. Bake 30 minutes, until dark golden.
If croutons are made in advance, put the Red Fire Farm tomatoes in a large mixing bowl a bit before you intend to mix the salad, then drain off and discard any juice that may accumulate. To serve, add the croutons, onion, and basil to the tomatoes. Whisk the vinegar and oil for the vinaigrette. Pour over all and toss.
Makes 6 servings.
Spaghetti Squash with Fresh Tomato Sauce
1 large spaghetti squash
2 onions, chopped
5 tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch of basil
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
grated Parmesan cheese
Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place face down on a pan with ¼ inch of water and bake for 40 minutes at 350˚.
While baking start the sauce. Sauté onions and garlic and peppers for 5 min on medium heat. Add tomatoes salt and pepper to taste and simmer for the remainder of the squash prep time. Remove squash from the oven and stick a fork into the cut side. The fork should go in easily, but it should not be mushy.
Cool for 5 minutes and using the fork, scrape the strands of squash from the skin, trying to keep them intact. Serve immediately topped with the sauce, the fresh chopped basil and cheese.
Summer Medley Quiche
Quiche for dinner is yummy! You can substitute any vegetables for the ones called for depending on what’s in your fridge.
1 pie shell
5 eggs
1 cup whole milk or cream
½ cup grated cheese of choice
2 Tbs. Olive oil or butter
2 ½ cup sautéed vegetables (onion, summer squash/zuke, pepper, kale, fresh herbs like savory or sage)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 sprig basil chopped (opt)
1 tomato sliced (opt)
In a large frying pan with the olive oil or butter, start with the onions and then add the summer squash or zucchini, pepper, fresh herbs, kale, and garlic last. When all veggies are tender, drain off any liquid and spread out on the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle the cheese over the top.
Wisk the eggs with the milk and add ½ tsp salt and pepper and pour over the veggies. Top with the basil and tomato if you like and bake until puffed and brown at 375˚ (about 30 min). Enjoy hot or cold.
Thai Eggplant Stir Fry
From Kristen Schafenacker, 2007
2-3 eggplant
3 chili peppers
4 cloves garlic
¼ cup cilantro
1 small onion, quartered
3 ts. Brown sugar
2 T lime juice
1 T vegetable oil
8 ounces tofu
½ cup fresh basil
1 T soy sauce
Preheat the grill for high heat. Oil the grill grate, and cook the eggplants on all sides until charred and black, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Peel, slice diagonally, and set aside.
In a food processor or blender, combine the chili peppers, garlic, cilantro, onion, sugar, and lime juice. Process until smooth.
Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat, and add the chili mixture. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 1 minute. Gently stir in the tofu, 1/4 cup of basil, soy sauce, and the eggplant. Cook until heated through. Remove to a serving dish, and garnish with the remaining basil.
