Please mark your calendars for next Saturday, September 17, for the Honey Bee Jamboree, presented by the Backyard Beekeepers Association at Ambler Farm from 10 to 3. There’s more information about the Jamboree on the Calendar of Events on our website.
Our farmstand is open today from 10:30 to 5, and you’ll find all your fresh-picked, organic favorites including tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, basil, fennel, cucumbers, scallions, carrots, beets, lettuce mix, swiss chard and, with any luck, fresh soybeans that turn into delicious edamame after just 7 minutes of steaming. How about using fresh tomatoes to make a light, oven roasted ratatouille? Please see below for a recipe kindly provided by Michele Bennett.
For those of you visiting Ambler Farm in the late afternoon today, please note that our Field + Farmer + Fork event takes place this evening, which means there will be more cars parked at Ambler Farm than you’re accustomed to seeing. While we’re on the subject of traffic, be advised that tomorrow the annual CT United Ride, a 9/11 tribute motorcycle ride, comes through town. The ride begins in Norwalk at 11:30 am and is expected to enter Wilton via Rt. 33 (Westport Rd) around noon. The motorcycles will travel north on Rt. 33 to the junction with Rt. 7 where they will continue northbound until turning onto Rt. 107 in Georgetown. This ride attracts many motorcyclists and has the potential to cause some significant traffic delays.
We suggest you stay off the road tomorrow and try this recipe:
Traditional ratatouille is not only time-consuming to prepare, but also requires about a cup of olive oil just to sauté the vegetables! Here is a quicker, lighter version (based on a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen) that really lets the individual flavors of each veggie shine through.
Ingredients (serves 4 as a side. Easily doubled.)
1 large eggplant (a pound or so), peeled and cut into cubes
2 medium zucchini or summer squash (1 pound) cut into ½ inch cubes
1 red or Vidalia onion, halved and sliced ¼ inch thick
1 (28-ounce) can diced organic tomatoes, or fresh tomatoes combined with canned tomatoes, drained with ½ cup juice reserved
4-5 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme, or ¼ teaspoon dried. You may substitute fresh or dried basil per your preference.
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar (the recipe called for it to be drizzled after roasting the vegetables, but we poured it on them before, resulting in a sweeter flavor)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.
Spread onto a 9 x 13-inch baking dish (or two if doubling – the dish shouldn’t overflow)
Roast for about an hour, or until the vegetables are tender and browned in spots – give the vegetables a stir about halfway through cooking time and add the reserved tomato “juice”.
Excellent topped with freshly-grated parmesan and served with crusty bread. Freezes beautifully. Also great as a hearty pasta sauce, atop a baked potato, and room-temperature as a leftover.
We hope to see you at the Farmstand today. You are always welcome at Ambler Farm!
