The Turkish Eggplant is indeed such an attention-getting plant. It is a rare heirloom seed originally from Turkey but grown in the warm Pennsylvania soil. Eggplants are a staple of Near, Middle and Far East cuisines. There are many ways to enjoy eggplants: roasted and puréed as in Arabian Baba Ghanoush; grilled on a Persian Kebab; or paired with basil as in both Italy and Thailand.

A very popular Turkish dish is Imam Bayildi, which translates in Turkish to “the Imam fainted.” Why did the Imam (religious leader) faint? Because to braise the eggplant it took so much olive oil, it soaked up all his wife’s dowry. Or maybe he fainted from pleasure of the mingled flavors of braised eggplant, tomato, and garlic of this delightful dish.

For a lighter and healthier eggplant preparation, just peel and slice the eggplant, sprinkle liberally with salt and let sit. Rinse off the salt and pat dry. The salt draws out the moisture. Eggplants belong to the nightshade family, which includes tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes. Eggplants are rich in antioxidants and are high in dietary fiber, vitamin B1, potassium, copper, and manganese.

Preparation:
Turkish eggplants are small enough to cut in half and BBQ or grill directly, or use the eggplant as a vessel for your favorite stuffing. The skin should be peeled.  Drizzle with olive oil, grill, add a spritz of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of basil and enjoy.

Storage:
Eggplant is fragile and should be refrigerated, but not in the coldest section. Use within one week.

- Heidi Lewis

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of Brussels sprout leaves, separated
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
2 cups finely chopped celery
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped scallions or red onion
3 heirloom tomatoes, cored and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices

Lemon Mint Vinaigrette:
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped mint
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

PREPARATION

• Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large sauce pan with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add Brussels sprouts leaves and blanche (boil briefly) for about 30 seconds. Immediately strain and put in ice water to stop cooking.
• Sauté the celery and carrot in the canola oil, preferably in a non-stick pan, for about 1 minute to barely soften. Remove from heat.
• Prepare vinaigrette. Whisk all ingredients together to blend well.
• Toss the celery, carrots, and Brussels sprouts with vinaigrette to coat lightly. Serve on a bed of sliced heirloom tomatoes drizzled with a little of the vinaigrette. Serves 3–4.

Optional addition: Blanche yellow beans (cut into large bite-size pieces) in salted water. Shock in an ice water bath to stop cooking and add to this salad.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 pound yellow wax beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 carrots, cut into large bite-sized pieces
1 cup Brussels sprouts, base and outside leaves removed, and cut in half
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoons salt
Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon thyme, chopped

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss the vegetables in separate bowls with approximately equal portions of the olive oil, garlic, and rosemary. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Place the carrots and Brussels sprouts on a large baking sheet. Roast until browned, about 20 minutes, stirring once during cooking.
• Place the beans on a separate baking sheet, and cook for about 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally until tender and browned.
• Toss together with the chopped thyme in a large serving bowl. Serves 2–4.

Optional Serving Suggestion: Toss roasted vegetables with 4 cups cooked pasta (fusilli or penne) and a little olive oil to coat. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups mixed fruit, cut into large bite-sized pieces. If using apples or pears, toss with a bit of lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I prefer Greek style, but you can use regular or fat free)
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 to 1 teaspoon finely chopped lavender (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION

• Whisk together and toss with fruit. Serves 4.

Alternate: Top with chopped nuts, coconut, or granola.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth or water)
1 cup barley
1 cup trimmed and chopped yellow Romano beans
1 cup corn, cut from the cob
1/2 medium red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

PREPARATION

• Bring broth (or water) to boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 cup barley. Bring back to a boil then reduce heat to a mild simmer and cover. Cook for about 30 minutes until tender but not mushy. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes more.
• Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a medium sauce pan. Add Romano beans and simmer for about 3 minutes. They should be just barely tender. Strain and put in ice water to stop cooking process, then drain.
• Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Sauté onion for about 2 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Add yellow beans and corn and sauté for about 4 minutes. Add barley and heat through. Toss with the cherry tomatoes. Serves 4.

Alternate: This is really good as-is, but you can add chopped fresh herbs such as basil, mint, thyme, parsley, or oregano to change it up. Oregano and mint go well with a bit of crumbled feta added. Basil and parsley make it a great side dish for Italian-style chicken or fish. You can also add cilantro and diced avocado for a Mexican flavor.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1  1/2 cups eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces
One bunch chard, coarse part of stems removed, leaves well rinsed and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped or torn basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 pound fusilli pasta
1–2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)
1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest (optional)

PREPARATION

• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Sauté onion for about 2 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Add eggplant and sauté until just soft, about 4–5 minutes. Add chard and cook for about 1 minute.
• While veggies are sautéing, cook the fusilli according to package directions. Strain and add into the pan with the vegetables and stir until well mixed. Add a little bit of the pasta water if the mixture is too dry.
• Pour into a serving bowl and toss with the basil and a little olive oil (1–2 teaspoons), and the lemon zest and juice (if using). Toss with parmesan cheese to taste. You can also add cherry tomatoes that have been cut in half.
• This dish can be served warm or at room temperature. Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup of cooked barley, made with water
1 cup of diced fruit, anything from the box

Orange mint dressing:
Zest of 1 orange
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon chopped mint
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION

• Mix dressing ingredients together and toss with barley and fruit.

INGREDIENTS

Basil vinaigrette:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup basil, loosely packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Vegetable suggestions:
1 large globe eggplant, cap removed and sliced in half lengthwise
2 zucchini, caps removed and sliced lengthwise, about 1/2-inch thick
8 mushrooms, cut in half
1 red onion, peeled and sliced about 1/2-inch thick

PREPARATION

• Place all vinaigrette ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
• Brush all vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Heat a grill pan (or you can grill outside) and grill for about 2 minutes per side. Set aside to cool a bit. Cut into large bite-size pieces.
• Toss grilled veggies with enough vinaigrette to coat the vegetables then save any excess to use on a green garden salad.
• Toss all prepared vegetables with cooked pasta or grains such as farro, barley, or couscous. Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS

1 head of cauliflower, base removed and head cut into bite-size florets
1 cup mushrooms, halved
1/2 medium onion (red or white)
1/2 green pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)
Olive oil
Salt/pepper
1 pound penne pasta
Parmesan cheese, to taste

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss cauliflower florets with olive oil to lightly coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast until browned, about 15 minutes (shake the pan to toss after about 7 minutes). Remove from oven and set aside.
• Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook onions and peppers about 4 minutes, until soft but not browned. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for one more minute.
• Add mushrooms and cook until just browning (don’t stir too often, let them sit to brown properly), about 2 minutes per side.
• While the mushrooms and onions are cooking, cook the penne according to the package directions. Strain penne and toss in the pan with the mushrooms, adding a little pasta water if it seems too dry.
• Pour into serving bowl and toss with the cauliflower and parmesan cheese to taste. Serves 4–6.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups Pie Ranch whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup ice water

Equipment
Food processor (optional)
Rolling pin
Plastic wrap

Preparation
Using a food processor, place the flour and salt in the bowl and pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until all the pieces are coated with flour and about the size of peas. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. (If you don’t have a processor, you can mix the flour and salt together in a bowl and then add the butter and massage it into the flour with your hands until it is flattened into thin, flour-coated flakes.) You should not see any large pieces of butter but don’t over blend or the dough will be tough.

The flakes of butter will produce a flaky pastry. Add the ice water gradually, tossing with a fork until all the flour is moistened and the dough begins to come together.

Divide the shaggy dough into two mounds, one slightly larger than the other. With your hands, gather each mound into a ball, kneading it gently if necessary to help it adhere. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap, then flatten each ball into an evenly thick disk resembling a hamburger patty, and refrigerate for one hour. Preheat the oven to 400.

Put the larger disk of dough on a lightly-floured surface or between two sheets of parchment paper. With a rolling pin, flatten the disk into a round large enough to fit your pie pan by about a half inch. Transfer the round to the pie pan. You may find it easier to transfer the round if you fold it in half first, then place it in the pie pan with the fold in the center and unfold it. Gently press it against the bottom and sides of the pan.

Add your pie filling.

Repeat the rolling procedure with the second disk of dough, flattening it into a circle large enough to cover the pie. Place it over the filling. Fold the overhanging edges of dough under and use your thumb and forefinger to crimp the rim of the dough decoratively, sealing the top and bottom doughs together. With a paring knife, make 6 to 8 slits in the top of the dough to allow air to vent. Put the pie in the oven and lower the temperature to 375. Bake until the crust is golden brown and crisp and the filling is bubbly, about one hour. Transfer to a baking rack to cook completely before slicing.