The vegetable garden is priceless amid the coronavirus pandemic - L'orto non ha prezzo in mezzo alla pandemia di coronavirus

For us vegetable gardening has never been a hobby.  We have been gardening for three decades, but we are particularly grateful for this year's growing season.  During the pandemic with many working from home, gardening has taken off throughout the state and the nation, resulting in more urban gardeners getting their hands dirty.

 

Many of you wonder whether a vegetable garden is worth the hassle.  Let me tell you that there is nothing like the thrill of picking crunchy beans or juicy red tomatoes right out of your own garden.

Fresh beans and zucchini

Peppers, eggplant and tomatoes

Is it a big hassle?  Yes, it does require time, labor and patience but gardening can be tremendously satisfying when you sit down to eat your work.  Not only there is a sense of self-sufficiency but also the more practical reward of consuming food that is fresh and nutritious because the vegetables are picked when ripe.

Eggplant parmigiana

Eggplant, zucchini and cavatelli

I hope that once we’re back to normal — whatever that means — people don't give up gardening.

Flat beans with simple tomato sauce

A Bountiful Harvest from Our Vegetable Garden

We are celebrating this year’s bountiful vegetable crop thanks to a glorious early summer here in the North East.

Pears - Pere

All photos - Copyright - ©2016 - La Casa e Il Giardino

Yes, it required some work – seeding, planting, mulching, fertilizing, watering and weeding.

Swisschard



Cabbage

Some plants required special attention - 

Pole beans



Tomatoes on the vine

....keeping an eye on the pests





such as staking up the tomato and bean vines  

Eggplants


........but look at the harvest

Cucumbers

Dandelions

Jersey tomatoes

Italian flat beans

In my opinion, eating vegetables that you have grown yourself is an experience everyone should enjoy. They taste so much better than anything you can buy in a grocery store. 

  

Meatless Stuffed Eggplants - Melanzane Ripiene Vegetariane

Meatless stuffed eggplants (Melanzane ripiene vegetariane)

 

Stuffed eggplants are one of our favorite dishes.  The filling can be modified in many ways: more spicy (adding a peperoncino), tastier (adding more cheese at the end of cooking), while the meat may be beef, pork, veal only, or a mix of veal and pork.  The choice is yours!  See Stuffed eggplants alla casalese.
 

Choosing eggplants is a ritual:  look for even color and firm feel. The eggplant should be heavy relative to its size; when you pick it up at the market, it should be firm and crisp, not spongy, to the touch.

In this case, I recommend you do not buy too big to shorten cooking time.

Ingredients
6 small to medium eggplants
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red or green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups cubes of day-old country bread
1 cup water
1 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 can pitted ripe olives, chopped
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Pour the water over the bread cubes in a small bowl. Once the bread has softened, squeeze out the excess water.  Crumble and set aside.

Cut one end of the eggplants.  Wash and halve the eggplants lengthwise. With a small paring knife, score the flesh and cut the eggplant around, leaving a 1/4-inch border from the skin. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon, leaving eggplant shells or boats for baking. 

Salt the cavity of the eggplant shells.  Place the eggplant shells (cavity down) to drain for 30 minutes.

Chop the eggplant flesh.  Place the flesh into a pot filled with water.  After 10 minutes or so, drain.  Rinse few more times in a colander under running water.  Squeeze out the excess water.

Mix eggplant flesh, bread, cheese, garlic, tomatoes, green pepper, black olives, parsley and black pepper. 

 Drizzle a little of the oil over each shell.  Fill in the eggplant shells. 

Place the filled shells one next to the other in a greased pan. 

Drizzle remaining olive oil over each shell.  Cover the dish with foil, and bake until the eggplant is tender all the way through, about 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover, and bake until the top of the filling is browned and crispy, about 10 minutes more.



Penne with Eggplant and Mint Pesto - Penne con Melanzane e Pesto di Menta

Mint is a very fresh and tasty spice, unfortunately, little used in the culinary world.  We enjoy it in string beans.  Not everyone knows but mint makes also a great pesto sauce for pasta.

This dish is a splendid variation on the classic Italian Pesto.  I use fresh mint from my garden rather than basil for a different flavor.  

   

 Ingredients
 3 small eggplants or 2 large ones
1 lb. penne
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 oz. walnut halves


For the Pesto
2 oz. fresh mint minced
3 oz. walnuts minced
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/3 cup of olive oil
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes in oil
Salt and pepper

Procedure
Cut the eggplants into short strips.  Place eggplant strips in a colander with salt and leave to stand for 30 minutes.  Rinse well and drain.  Squeeze to remove excess moisture.  In a pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil and saute' eggplant for few minutes on medium heat.  Set aside.

Cook penne until nearly cooked.  Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.   Put cooked penne back into the pot.  Add reserved water.  Place pasta pot over the stove on low heat.  Add the eggplant, minced mint, garlic, walnuts, red pepper flakes, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Stir gently and mix well.   Cook the pasta for few minutes.  Add walnut halves and serve immediately.

Penne with eggplant and Mint Pesto

All photo Copyright - ©2010 - La Casa e Il Giardino - picasaweb