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Athens Locally Grown
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Recipes

Broiled Eggplant with Crunchy Parmesan Crust

This is such an easy way to make a crunchy-crusted eggplant appetizer that you may even feel guilty about the raves it receives. Recipe-tester Barbara suggests topping this dish with tomato sauce. From Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt On Vegetables

oil for greasing the baking sheet
mayonnaise
eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch slices
freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup)

1. Preheat the broiler. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
2. Spread mayonnaise sparingly on both sides of each eggplant slice, then dip the slices in the grated Parmesan cheese, thoroughly coating both sides.
3. Arrange the slices in a single layer on the oiled baking sheet and place under the broiler until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the slices and broil until golden brown and crunchy on top and the eggplant is soft, about 3 minutes more.

Market News

Many of you have asked me about the documentary Food, Inc., recently released at theaters scattered throughout the country. It’s finally made its way to Athens, showing three times every day this week at Cine downtown. Tuesday evening, local organizations Ecofocus and P.L.A.C.E. present a special screening of Food, Inc. followed by a panel discussion with UGA professors Hilda Kurtz (Geography) and Shane Hamilton (History) (both fellow ALG members). Prior to the screening, audiences can enjoy a coffee & dessert reception sponsored by Farm255 and 1000Faces Coffee. The reception on Tuesday starts at 7pm with the screening to follow at 7:30pm. As Athens Locally Grown customers, you already know the importance of knowing where your food comes from, but hopefully you’ll get a chance to come out and see how Director Robert Kenner and Michael Pollan lay it all out.

The mornings are getting cool and the days are getting shorter, reminding us that fall will soon be here. The growers have been laying out seedlings for cabbage, kale, broccoli, and lettuce, and planting seeds for carrots, turnips, radishes, and other root veggies. If they can keep them nourished through the next four weeks or so of heat, we’ll all soon be treated to the fruits of their labor. Fall is an often overlooked gardening season, but it’s come to be my favorite. If you’ve got a garden, you may be tempted to rip it all out as summer comes to an end, but resist! Pretty much everything you can grow in the spring you can also grow in the fall, and much of the time here, they’ll grow even better this time of year.

Thanks so much for your support of Athens Locally Grown, all of our growers, and local food in general. You all are part of what makes Athens such a great area in which to live. We’ll see you on Thursday at the old state market on Broad Street from 4:30 to 8pm!

Coming Events

Our next Farmer for a Day event is coming up on September 5th. Most of the slots are filled, but look in the “Events Reservations” category to claim the last few slots. We’ll be heading over to the Johnston Family Farm to see their dairy (and sample some of that delicious chocolate milk, right off the tap). We’ll then wind up the season at my place for our annual Hunter’s Moon Feast on October 3rd. Spaces for all are limited, so be sure to make your reservations along with your order!

The Athens Farmers Market is held every Saturday morning at Bishop Park from 8am to noon. It’s a totally separate entity from Athens Locally Grown, but you’ll find many of the same growers at both. And of course, you can learn more about that market on their website.

Also, Watkinsville has a thriving farmers market every Saturday morning, behind the Eagle Tavern. And further east, Comer has a nice little market Saturday mornings as well. Please support your local farmers and food producers, where ever you’re able to do so!