Thursday's Producers' Day, Cherry Tom's, Eggplant & Pluots

The first of two Producers' Day events this year where you can meet and greet some of the growers, producers and makers that service our local region.

Come taste the creations of Scott and Katie's Hash Mash; Farmhouse Culture Sauerkrauts and Fiscalini Cheeses; Mary with Marygold Fabricating will "set up shop" with her home-sown goods. Adina from GreenGroOrganics will demonstrate her live compost tea.

Friday, July 29, 3 to 7pm: Gourmet Garlic Galore.

Do you remember the Garlic Harvest Festival we put on for four years at our old far

m in the early 2000's? We had a tasting of all the

varieties we grew (20 one year), fresh, sauteed and baked. Garlic is an amazing crop - not only for it's flavor in cooking but for how it's propagated and grown. Garlic is a clone (like potatoes), a clove planted produces a bulb harvested. Today as generations of ancestors did for over 4000 years planted the cloves of the previous crop. Many of the varietals today can be traced back to villages in Russia, Italy, Afganistan. We bring you a touch of the good old days.... Come and sample the many varieties we grow, learn about the differences, history and medicinal properties.

Summer CSA Sign-ups (weekly or bi-weekly): Can't make it to the store, live too far away or just busy living life, we can accomm

odate you. Our weekly summer deliveries, beginning July 7th service many locations in Tuolumne and Calaveras County. Log into the sign-up wizard for more details of drop off locations, bag sizes and prices.

Vegetable Highlights at Outer Aisle

FRUIT HIGHLIGHTS: From the orchards of Tyson Hill Farm, Waterford we have the finest fruit! This week Santa Rosa plums, yellow and white peaches, sadly the last of the apricots. New this week from Smit Orchards in Clements, Pluots. A cross between a plum and an apricot; a marriage of exquisite texture and sweetness.

VEGETABLE HIGHLIGHTS:

Eggplant or it's more feminine name "Aubergine" makes center stage this week and into the foreseeable future! We love eggplant. Life gets a whole lot more interesting with eggplant! Its creamy and sweet flavor blends fantastically with spicy flavors, coconut oil and basil (check out Eric's Spicy Thai Asian Eggplant below). The globe eggplant are great sliced lengthwise, brushed with olive oil and grilled, making this a truly summer vegetable! Select eggplant that is firm and shiny, when freshly picked there is no need to salt and soak to remove bitterness.

Suyo Long (non bitter and burbless), Lemon cucumbers and Sungold cherry tomatoes are a new addition. Plenty of squash, red onions, purple peppers, red cabbage, basil (all four kinds in abundance), potatoes (Yukon Gold and Desiree).

NEW BULK OFFERINGS:

Take advantage of bulk offerings at Outer Aisle. During the peak summer months we'll have oversupplies of a variety of fruits and vegetables. If you can, freeze, dehydrate or getting ready for a party.

This week: Basil for pesto making (see recipe below); and pickling cucumbers.

RECIPES:

Eric's SPICY THAI ASIAN EGGPLANT (serves 4)

6 medium sized Asian eggplants (white or purple) sliced into quarters lengthwise

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 TBS Coconut oil or olive oil

Cayenne pepper flakes

Thai basil, roughly chopped

2 TBS agave nectar

2 TBS Nama Shoyu Tamari or soy

2 TBS water

1/2 TBS Sesame oil

Make a syrup by mixing soy sauce, sesame oil, water, agave and basil.

Saute eggplant over medium heat until tender. Remove eggplant and put aside, turn heat down low and add jalapeno and garlic with a little oil. Saute briefly to release juices without overcooking. Add the sauce, bring to a boiling point. Pour over eggplant and garnish with cayenne pepper.

PESTO

2 bunches sweet basil (use leaves only)

2- 3 TSP olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

lemon juice

1 clove garlic

1/2 cup of walnuts or pine nuts

1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese

Put basil leaves into cuisinart, drizzle in enough oil to grind to a fine paste, add lemon juice, salt and minced garlic, grated cheese and nuts.

Outer Aisle FOODS & GOODS "Essentials for the 21st Century". Our mission is to facilitate a speedy transition to a sustainable economy by offering the essential tools, ingredients and knowledge to prepare us for the 21st century.

Behind the scenes of Outer Aisle is Taylor Mountain Gardens. Located just around the corner on Main Street in Douglas Flat, our nearly two acre "beyond organic" farm produces a large variety of seasonal vegetables including these seasonal highlights: summer heirloom tomatoes, fall cauliflower, winter carrots and spring potatoes to name just a few!

OuterAisle FOODS operates a year round CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. We distribute the highest quality, local, seasonal and regional produce and products to members all over Calaveras and Tuolumne Counties. We only purchase product from farms and producers who are committed to ecologically sustainable practices and go beyond the National "Organic" standards.