Garden Updates and Confessions

Each morning, while savouring my first cup of coffee, I inspect the garden for what’s ready or near ready to harvest. It’s been an exciting week: 3 Chinese eggplants, 2 Italian eggplants, 5 cucumbers, 4 tomatoes, 3 kohlrabi and lots of herbs. I had wanted to take a photo of the bounty, but I’ve been eating everything just as quickly as I harvest. The cucumbers are surprisingly sweet. Cut in half or sticks, they make a great snack. I’ve sliced tomatoes with the intention of making a sandwich, but with a little sprinkle of salt, I can’t get them from the cutting board to a plate without “tasting” them first. Needless to say, I have yet to make a sandwich or collect enough cucumbers to make pickles.

The eggplant is too bountiful to consume on my own. On Thursday evening, my neighbors (who have since returned from vacation and reclaimed their CSA subscription) and I combined the corn from their farm share with my eggplant for a Japanese-inspired vegetable feast: Miso-Rubbed Grilled Eggplant and Chile Glazed (think Spicy Tuna Roll sauce) Corn on the Cob.

Last week, in a fit of discouragement, I started yanking up the non-zucchini producing zucchini plants to make room for my fall lettuces and broccoli raab. As I inspected the plants for squash blossoms that would be worth saving, I discovered that I had been premature: the plants had *finally* started to produce fruit. I immediately stopped, and now have two or three zucchini-ettes well on their way to become a full-grown zucchinis.

Miso-Rubbed Grilled Eggplant
(inspired by Nobu)

3 Japanese Eggplant, sliced in half lengthwise
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 cup white miso
½ cup sugar
¼ cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
¼ cup sake

1. Finely chop garlic. Toss eggplant with garlic and oil to marinate.

2. Combine remaining ingredients in a sauce pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until completely combined and sugar has dissolved.

3. Prepare a charcoal grill. Grill Eggplant, cut side down, for 3 minutes or until lightly charred. Flip over and brush with miso paste. Cook for 2 minutes more. If you’d like, flip again to char the miso paste onto eggplant.

4. Serve with rice, or shrimp or grilled corn.