Twenty Bag | Jun 26

In the Jun 26 Twenty Bag: Personal grande watermelon, baby fingerling potatoes, Campari-style tomatoes, heirloom tomato, leeks, shishito peppers, Chinese eggplant, okra.

Thank you Harleston Towles and Rooting Down Farms!

Wondering about the difference between Japanese and Chinese eggplant, I did a bit of research. Turns out, they are basically the same, taste wise, with the Chinese variety coming in a slightly lighter shade of purple, and sometimes a little longer.

When eggplant and tomatoes line up together in the same Bag, it puts me in the mood for making local-food pioneer Alice Waters’ amazing recipe for ratatouille. The recipe also calls for the bell peppers, squash and onions I still have from previous Bags, which have kept quite well thanks to their local farm-freshness.

The Bag’s leeks are inspiring me to try a recipe I found for a smoky lentil stew. Lentils are super rich in nutrients; the healthy legumes show up in a variety of shades and textures that are well explained in this Bon Appetit post.

A quick search of sweetgrass + grits will take you to plenty more recipes—all curated with an eye toward the weekly Twenty Bag harvest.

Harleston’s storage tips: If greens or herbs of any kind begin to wilt at any point or at pick up, put them in a big bowl of ice water for 20-30 minutes.  Almost all produce is washed and should go in the refrigerator. Watermelon is amazing cold so best in the fridge.  Potatoes in a cool DARK place in the pantry.  They will turn green if exposed to light.  Tomatoes on the counter.  The larger heirloom may or may not need to ripen on the counter.  Keep an eye on it though; they are delicious, but do not keep well.  Okra, eggplant, peppers, and leeks should all go in the fridge.