Success!!

Wow, last night was the largest crowd ever at Farmer's Market. The bike rodeo was a huge success with 137 young people participating. All the park was full of great activities like free family portraits, free school supplies, jump houses, music, and of course great produce.

A huge thank you is due to the City of Gridley, Gridley-Biggs Police Department, the Fire Deparment, the Recreation Department, our local service organizations and everyone who came out to enjoy the night.

With all the variety of summer produce I thought I supply a few resources for new ideas. Our local magazine Edible Shasta-Butte is always a good source and always available free at the market along with other local publications.

An Eggplant Gratin:

2 1/2 lbs eggplant, peeled if white, sea salt and fresh ground pepper, 1/4 c. olive oil, 1 large onion sliced, 4 large eggs, 1 c. milk or light cream, 1 c. finely grated Parmesan cheese, 1 T. balsamic vinegar, 10 large basil leaves torn into small pieces.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 2-quart gratin dish. Cut eggplant into rounds about 1/2 inch thick. Salt, if desired, and set aside.
2. Heat 1 T. oil in a large nonstick skillet, add the onions, and cook over medium heat, turning frequently until soft and light gold, about 12 minutes. Scrape into a bowl. While the onions are cooking, beat the eggs with the milk and stir in the cheese, vinegar, 3/4 t. salt, and some fresh ground pepper.
3. If you salted, rinse the eggplant, then wick up the water with a towel. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet. When hot, add the eggplant and immediately turn it in the pan so all of the pieces are coated with oil. Cook over medium heat, turning occasionally until the eggplant is golden. This will take about 25 minutes, but you don't need to stand over the pan. This is a good down time to make a quick tomato sauce for this dish or another part of your meal.
4. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper to taste, then toss with the onions and basil. Put it in the prepared dish and pour the custard over the top. Bake until golden brown, and puffed, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe is also good with other vegetables like summer squash, artichokes, and asparagus.

Taken from: Local Flavors by: Deborah Madison