Take A Picture At Today's Farmers Market And Win A Prize

Are you a shutterbug? Do you click with the camera? Then the Sunday Farmers Market in Martinez wants you. Today, the market is asking photographers to come down and take the shots which to them best represent the market. Winners will be announced later in the season, and will be eligible to win gift certificate from a local business.

Meanwhile, for those of you seeking fruits and vegetables, you probably know you can’t do better than the market for the freshest produce in town. The market gives you the chance to actually meet and speak with the growers of the produce, an opportunity you just don’t get other places. It also gives you a chance to meet friends and neighbors, and catch up on the local goings-on.

But not everyone knows what to do with all that bounty. It’s not hard to buy a peach and eat it right on the spot, but what about those mysterious looking vegetables? Sure, you can buy them, but then what? There are no owners’ manuals for vegetables.

It is for these kind souls we offer the following suggestions for preparing the magnificent bounty that is available each Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Farmers Market. The following information comes from the Pacific Coast Farmers Market website, based on what is in season right now.

Eggplant:

No, it has nothing to do with eggs. Eggplant shares a family tie with tomatoes; both are members of the nightshade family. The big bulbous ones are American or Italian variety, while the long, skinny ones are Thai or Indian variety. You can’t beat a vegetable that is purple. There are so many things you can do with eggplant – sautee with garlic and olive oil, fry, bake or grill.

Here are a couple of recipes for eggplant that you can try, using mostly ingredients you’ll find at the market:

Eggplant Curry

Ingredients

1/4 cup cooking oil
2 large eggplant (cut in cubes)
3 tomatoes (chopped)
1 teaspoon cumin seed
2 tablespoons ginger (fresh mashed)
2 tablespoons garlic (mashed)
2 teaspoons tumeric
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 or more chili peppers (minced)

Instructions

Heat oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds. Sauté for 2 minutes. When they begin to turn dark brown, add cut eggplant to the pan. Add turmeric, salt, chili peppers, mashed ginger and garlic. Mix together with eggplant.
 
Sauté at least 10 minutes. Add cumin and coriander power. Add cut tomatoes. Cook for another 15 minutes, stirring every 4 to 5 minutes.
 
Serve with plain rice or flatbread.

Ratatouille

Ingredients

3 onions
3 bell peppers
4 summer squash (zucchini, yellow)
4 to 6 Roma tomatoes
1 large eggplant
4 to 6 cloves garlic
1 bunch basil
olive oil
salt
1 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

Wash all ingredients and cut into bite-sized pieces.  Pick the leaves off the bunch of basil, tie the stems together and set both the stems and leaves aside.  Sauté the eggplant cubes in olive oil over medium heat, allowing them to brown well, then set them aside.  Adding a little more oil to the pan, sauté the onions until they are translucent.  Add the bell peppers and basil stems; cook for about 5 minutes.  Add the summer squash, garlic and paprika, cooking for about 5 minutes more.  Add the diced tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.  Then, add the cooked eggplant cubes and allow the ingredients to stew down and meld for 15-20 minutes.  Remove the basil stems.  Add salt, chopped fresh basil leaves, and a drizzle of fresh olive oil.  Serve warm.