Today, I made it over to the local Farmer's Market in Lawrence. For those of you who aren't from here, there is also a Tues/Thurs smaller version of the Saturday one. It's a good day to pick up stuff like onions, corn, garlic, basil, you know the more basic things. I was hoping that the same old couple would be there with their terrific heirloom cherry tomatoes (sooooo good) that I bought on Tuesday. But I was disappointed that they weren't there, so I settled for a bag of green apples, a carton of HUGE blackberries, a couple of regular tomatoes, some basil and a perfectly beautiful eggplant.
I just started reading a book last night called Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant where the editor asked various authors & chefs to write about their experiences on cooking for one. http://www.amazon.com/Alone-Kitchen-Eggplant-Jenni-Ferrari-Adler/dp/B0015VT2K2/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217555350&sr=8-1 One of the stories was about how the author lived on eggplant while living alone. It must have stuck because once I saw the perfect eggplant, I had to have it.
I came home with no idea of what to make with the eggplant, so I used the cookthink website to devise a plan. Fried eggplant-genius! Who doesn't like to make a mess in the kitchen with oil (oh, wait, I forgot that my kitchen cleaner is out of town!). I decided to whip up a homemade tomato sauce to go with the dish. I just threw together the tomatoes, some leftover onion, basil and a couple extra dried herbs & a pinch of hot red pepper flakes. I had already planned on making la stomach's corn recipe that had me drooling awhile back with the fresh corn from Tuesday (I had bought a dozen!). I wish that I could find the second camera because I really need to take pictures to post (I promise that I will in the future) because maybe some of you might start salivating at your computers. I did use panko breadcrumbs instead of fresh ones (I didn't feel like making any) , which turned out excellent. Right now, Chris is in Butte, MT kicking himself for missing out on this wonderful meal. Anyway, thumbs up for my first cookthink recipe and super thumbs up for Justin's corn recipe. Try them out!
la stomach's Corn Recipe…
Husk the ears, making sure to remove all the silk and cut the kernels off the cobb. Now we have a special device for corn cleanup in our kitchen, but for those without furry friends, try place the cob in a large mixing bowl to cut kernels (the bowl will catch the errant suckers). When you’ve got all your golden goods ready, make some brown butter (which is basically separating the milk solids from the butter). Fry up a generous pat of butter, swirling around over high heat until it turns a light brown hue and gives off a nutty aroma. Add corn and saute for 3-5 minutes until cooked, then chifonade a handful of basil and throw on top to finish. Doctor with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.
Husk the ears, making sure to remove all the silk and cut the kernels off the cobb. Now we have a special device for corn cleanup in our kitchen, but for those without furry friends, try place the cob in a large mixing bowl to cut kernels (the bowl will catch the errant suckers). When you’ve got all your golden goods ready, make some brown butter (which is basically separating the milk solids from the butter). Fry up a generous pat of butter, swirling around over high heat until it turns a light brown hue and gives off a nutty aroma. Add corn and saute for 3-5 minutes until cooked, then chifonade a handful of basil and throw on top to finish. Doctor with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.
