New Farmstand hours starting this week!

New Farmstand Hours starting this week ! Thursdays 11-6 Fridays 11-6 Saturdays 10-2. Stop by for lunch and take home all the fixings for dinner! Featured Farmstand 59 Favorite: Weiser Farm Calliope Eggplant Chef Sarah Lim calls these "little Easter eggs". Like our beautiful Farm Lot 59 tomatoes, It's easy to think of eggplant as a vegetable because we find it in so many savory dishes. However, eggplant, aka aubergine, is actually a tropical fruit! Though it is treated like a vegetable, Eggplant (a member of the nightshade family along with tomatoes and potatoes) is actually a giant berry. Eggplant (Solanum melongena) are native to Asia, where they've been cultivated since prehistoric times. Traders brought them to the Middle East and Europe starting in the 15th century, though many Europeans refused to eat eggplant up until the 18th century because they're bitter and are part of the nightshade family. (People thought nightshades, like tomatoes and peppers, caused insanity; eggplant's Italian name, melanzana, comes from the Latin mela insana, "mad apple.") The development of sweeter varieties increased eggplant's popularity. As eggplant cultivation spread around the world, countless hybrids were created to get the sweetest, firmest vegetable possible, as well as to help them grow in more temperate climates (they're used to tropical or subtropical environments). These gorgeous striped Calliope eggplant and other varieties are available from early summer through fall. Varieties of eggplant range from the dark globe, slender bright purple Japanese, dark purple Hansels, small round Thai and Sicilian (sometimes called Graffiti), and White Cloud. Many of you enjoyed our "ebony and ivory" Farm Lot 59 and Weiser mix of purple and white eggplant at last week's stand. Some varieties are prized for their bitter flavors, like the Hansel's which are a favorite of Farmer Sash's and Ollie's, but it's age that causes most eggplant to become bitter. We know you like your sweet and mild, so when selecting, we look for young, firm fruit that are almost hard to the touch. Your little easter eggs will be waiting for you at the stand! Cooking suggestions, Calliope Three Ways: 1) Toss thick "steaks" of sliced eggplant on the grill, studding the slices with wedges of garlic and fresh herbs to infuse flavor as they cook. Olive oil drizzle and salt sprinkle as desired. 2) Slowly roast cubes of the fruit, tossing them with aromatic oil, fresh herbs and crumbled feta cheese for a Mediterranean-inspired salad. 3) For all you fancy folk: Purée cooked eggplant to make aclassic baba ghanouj, tapenade or other dip. You can also salt eggplant to remove excess moisture and make for a silkier texture before deep-frying. Here is a link to one of my favorite melanzana recipes, get crazy with it! http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-eggplant-rollatini-233186 How to store: It's best to use eggplant when it's very fresh, but it will keep for two or three days in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Be sure to remove any plastic wrapping before storing eggplant. What's on the horizon at Farmstand 59? Our beloved farmer Sasha Kanno has planted some really exciting stir fry mixes that will be ready for you in a few weeks. For now, continue to enjoy her out-of-this world Stellar Salad mix with blood sorrel and arugula; lettuce never eat another "spring mix" from the grocery store in our lives! Once you eat the Farm Lot 59 signature salad mix, you will not be able to go back to the sad, flavorless, greens many of us have been triple brain washed to eat. Organic is not enough, it needs to also be delicious! Tomato News: We will have the beautiful Farmlot 59 tomato slicers and cherries these last weeks of summer, and expect the cherries to go through winter (lucky you!) At the markets, I'm on the look out for a wide variety of green beans, from Kentucky blue and haricot vert to yellow wax, Romano and exotic varieties like the Tongue of Fire. Berries are out, but Asian pears are coming in season and will be with us summer through fall. Mmmm....I can smell the pear and gorgonzola pizza right now! Save the date for our grand opening Sept 23rd! We also have Healthy Halloween festival on October 28th. More info about field trips, tours and what's growing on our farm coming in our next newsletter. Thanks! Ollie & Sasha Long Beach Local © 2017 2714 California Ave, Long Beach, CA 90755 Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser Unsubscribe