Hard to believe that it is mid-July, but the heat and the tomato harvest say it is so. A month without rain has been hard on some things and good on others. The cracks in the ground are approaching the point where they give you vertigo, with no bottom in sight.

It does prime the pump of the fruiting vegetables though, especially with the warm nights. With all the tomato seconds we are delighting in the eating opportunities here on the farm. Tomato salad consisting of tomatoes and salt is especially tasty in July and August, so now is a moment to be savored.

It is also the peak of basil season. Our seeds come from Italy and live up to the name of Genovese basil. The summer savory is a treat too, also living up to its name right now. They both are great with any tomato, onion, pepper or eggplant dish. Just chop them up and add them during or after cooking a dish.

The recipe this week is for all of you that are not admitted eggplant fans. My Italian cousin Maria Fazio posted a picture of eggplant “meatballs” that I had to try. The were delicious and very nearly meatballs. The flavor, texture and aroma were all fantastic. To quote Rebecca “OMG those are really good, I could eat a whole plate of them.”

This recipe is based on what we had handy and a search online for Polpette di Melanzane.

Ingredients
2 eggplant (about 3/4 to 1 lb)
1 to 1-1/2 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Italian cheese
1 large egg
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp each dried oregano and marjoram
1/2 to 1 tsp salt
flour for dusting

Method
Trim the top off the eggplant and cut it into rounds or slices. Brush with olive oil and roast at 400 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender. Let cool.
In a food processor chop the eggplant and then add the bread crumbs, garlic, eggs, herbs, salt and cheese and process until blended.
Form into “meatballs.” Use some flour to keep the mixture from getting too sticky, and dust the meatballs with flour after forming them.
Fry in oil until brown. Drain on paper and serve as is, or add to tomato sauce.

Eggplant meatballs before frying

I’m sure it isn’t something you might much think about, but sorting the best of our tomatoes for two different size shares at 4 different distribution locations is a skilled job. All hands but mine were on deck today as we consolidated the last two harvests into tomorrow’s shares. It is an annual ritual that we are more than happy to perform.

Lorne, Rebecca, Lauren and Luke at work.