Pounds and Pounds of Produce – A Visit to Kruger Pepper Farm

Sicilian Caponata

Photo by Lorelle Del Matto

This year, instead of being jealous of the people who rave about their extraordinary harvest of tomatoes, peppers and the like, I made a 2 1/2 hour road trip to the Kruger Pepper Farm in Wapato, Washington, a candy store for cooks who are not serious gardeners.

Thanks to my husband’s Italian heritage we do attempt to grow tomatoes every year.

Photo by Lorelle Del Matto

We just don’t get many – three or four might ripen each day during the peak of the season and the total harvest would about fill a baseball cap.

At the Kruger Pepper  Farm I fulfilled my dream of a robust harvest. I came home with the ingredients of Mediterranean deliciousness:

20 pounds of fresh San Marzano tomatoes, 10 pounds of heirloom tomatoes,

20 pounds of hot and sweet peppers,

Photo by Lorelle Del Matto

several varieties of fresh garlic, squash, melon, sweet onions, and  fat purple eggplant.

Photo by Lorelle Del Matto

My mind flooded with memories of the food I cooked at a beach house in Siracusa, Sicily we rented for a family vacation a few years ago.

Thankfully the house had two kitchens, one outdoors, so one could cook in the sweltering southern Italian heat without overheating the un-air-conditioned house.

While my children fished and played on the beach I played in the kitchen with local eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic.

Photo by Lorelle Del Matto

My ripe, farm-fresh produce demanded to be used a  so I followed my Mediterranean memories to the kitchen and spend several days preparing my “harvest.”

Photo by Lorelle Del Matto

I started with fresh tomato-eggplant sauce like the Sicilian dish “pasta alla norma” with a side of lean Italian sausages and peppers.

Photo by Lorelle Del Matto

While that simmered I roasted tray after tray of the San Marzano tomatoes, coveted for their meaty texture and flavor which concentrates with roasting. (Directions follow.)  Once roasted, I slipped off the skins and froze them for later use in sauces,  pizzas and more.

Photo by Lorelle Del Matto

Cool End of Summer Gazpacho  with melon and tomatoes was refreshing on a warm evening.

Photo by Lorelle Del Matto

Peppers, hot and sweet, were made into

Photo by Lorelle Del Matto

Pepperonata or roasted on the grill and peeled for Panzanella , a grilled bread salad with eggplant, peppers and tomatoes.

Photo by Lorelle Del Matto

With a couple of weekend parties in mind, I made Sicilian Caponata, a versatile sweet-sour eggplant dish. (Recipe follows.)

Photo by Lorelle Del Matto

According to The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink (Reference 1), word “caponata” may derive from the Latin word for tavern, caupo, and represente the hearty food served to Sicilian sailors in the local caupone (taverns).

I served Caponata a bruschetta-style appetizer with burrata cheese and rustic whole grain crackers.  It can also be used as a sauce, spooned over grilled fish filets or chicken breasts.

Photo by Lorelle Del Matto

A couple of weeks have passed and I’m happy to say I still have peppers in my refrigerator. Purchased or home-grown – enjoy the end-of-summer bounty.

To Roast Tomatoes (Use fresh San Marzano, Roma or Plum):

Halve the tomatoes and arrange cut side up on an oiled baking sheet; brush with olive oil that has been warmed with a clove or two or smashed garlic; sprinkle with salt and pepper roast in slow to moderate oven (275 to 325 degrees) for several hours, until tomatoes begin to shrivel around the edges but are still moist. (Time depends on the temperature of the oven, size of the tomatoes and degree to which you want them roasted.)  I use the convection setting and switch the position of the sheets occasionally when roasting several sheets of tomatoes at a time.  Slip off the skin after cooling.

Caponata

Serve on crackers or as bruschetta on thin slices of rustic bread or baguette that have been rubbed with garlic, brushed with olive oil and oven-toasted.  Or reheat and spoon over grilled fish filets or chicken breasts.

 2 bell peppers (yellow and red or orange)

3 ½ pounds black-skinned eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 ½ tablespoons salt

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided use

1/2 cup golden raisins

1 pound yellow onions, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoons finely chopped or minced garlic

3 anchovy filets

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3/4 cup chopped fresh tomatoes or 1 can (14.5-ounce) diced tomatoes, drained

4 stalks celery, chopped (1 1/3 cups)

3 bay leaves

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1/2 cup chopped, pitted green olives

3 to 4 tablespoons drained capers

To serve:

Toasted pine nuts

Fresh basil, thyme or oregano leaves, sliced if large

1. Halve bell peppers and remove core and seeds. Place on baking sheet, skin side up, and broil until skins blacken. Cover with foil and cool. Remove blackened peel and discard.  Chop flesh.  Set aside.

2. Pour hot water over raisins. Set aside to soften.

3. Place eggplant cubes in a colander and set colander over a plate. Toss with salt. Set aside for 30 minutes to drain.  Preheat oven to 425° F.  Rinse eggplant cubes with water; drain.  Dry on clean kitchen towel.  Place cubes in a bowl and toss with 4 tablespoons olive oil.  Spread on a large baking sheet and roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until soft and edges begin to brown, stirring once or twice.  Remove from oven and set aside.

4. Swirl 2 tablespoons olive oil into a large, deep skillet and place over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Move onion to perimeter of pan.  Add garlic, anchovies and red pepper flakes to center of pan.  Press with back of fork to break down anchovies into a paste.  Stir mixture into onions.   Add tomatoes, celery, bay leaves, vinegar and sugar.  Cook gently, stirring often for about 10 minutes or until tomatoes soften. Drain raisins and stir into mixture along with peppers, eggplant, olives and capers.  Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, to blend flavors.  Remove from heat and cool. Remove and discard bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasonings.

5. Chill if made ahead. Serve warm or at room temperature garnished with pine nuts and fresh herbs. Makes about 6 cups.

REFERENCE

1. The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink, John Mariani, Broadway Books, 1998.

© Lorelle Del Matto 2015