Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes with Parmesan Cheese

2 small eggplants, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices

6 medium plum tomatoes, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 to 8 basil leaves, finely chopped, or about 1 teaspoon dried leaf basil

Fresh shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Spray a large shallow baking pan with olive oil spray or grease with olive oil. Heat oven to 425°.

In a large food storage bag or bowl, toss the sliced eggplant and tomatoes with the salt, pepper, olive oil, garlic, and basil.

Spread the sliced tomatoes and eggplant out in the prepared baking pan in a single layer (overlapping a little is okay, but if you're stacking, use 2 pans.

Bake the slices for 35 to 45 minutes, or until vegetables are nicely browned. Sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese..

Source: http://southernfood.about.com/od/eggplantrecipes/r/r70502a.htm

Braised Baby Bok Choi

1 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 lb baby bok choy, trimmed

1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

Instructions:

Bring broth and butter to a simmer in a deep large heavy skillet. Arrange bok choy evenly in skillet and simmer, covered, until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer bok choy with tongs to a serving dish and keep warm, covered.

Boil broth mixture until reduced to about 1/4 cup, then stir in sesame oil and pepper to taste. Pour mixture over bok choy.

Source: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Braised-Baby-Bok-Choy-103970#ixzz27UWWGmKj

Spaghetti with Garlicky Kale

6  ounces  whole-grain spaghetti

2  tablespoons  olive oil

1  medium red onion, thinly sliced

2  cloves garlic, chopped

kosher salt and black pepper

1  bunch kale, thick stems removed and leaves torn into bite-size pieces (about 8 cups)

2  pints  grape tomatoes, halved

1/3  cup  chopped roasted almonds

1/4  cup  grated pecorino (1 ounce), plus more for serving

Instructions:

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, and return it to the pot.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the kale and cook, tossing frequently, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, tossing frequently, until the tomatoes begin to soften, 1 to 2 minutes more.

Add the kale mixture, almonds, pecorino, and reserved cooking water to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve with additional pecorino.

Source:

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/whole-grain-spaghetti-with-garlicky-kale-and-tomatoes-00000000051131/index.html

Orchard Planting Recap

By: Jacqueline Boulden and Nina Berryman

Last Wednesday 50 blueberries, 50 blackberries, 15 cherry trees, 15 plum trees and 15 Asian pear trees were carefully and loving planted behind the base ball field at Saul.

The  three-year plan for the orchard includes a wish list of future plantings of strawberries, figs, hazelnut and pawpaw, a fruit native to North America.

Ten volunteers and about 120 Saul students shoveled dirt, sprinkled peat, planted the trees and bushes in the ground, surrounded the plantings with protective wire mesh and poured bucketfuls of water to give them a start.

“Helping plant these blueberry bushes in the orchard gives me a better understanding of Saul, that it’s hands-on learning,” said freshman Austin Dennison. “It’s a good achievement to help do this and get paid back in berries.” Fellow freshman Lorenzo Velazquez agreed. “I love working with plants. That’s why I came here and I want to see the outcome of this.” 

Senior Nathan Newman will not be here to see the orchard fully mature because he is graduating next year but “four to five years from now I’ll be happy to come back and see the growth in the orchard.”

Lisa Mosca, from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), co-wrote the grant that made the first plantings possible. “It’s wonderful to see this,” said Lisa “We’ve been waiting for this day for 10-months and I can’t wait to come back and see what it’s like in 10-years.”

Eight of the hard-working volunteers were from publishing company Elsevier, which gives each employee two days a year with pay to do volunteer work. Amanda Minutola, a content specialist at Elsevier, said her volunteer days used to be spent in soup kitchens but this year she wanted to do something with high school students and something outdoors. “Planting the orchard is definitely more labor intensive than the soup kitchen,” she said. “It’s hard work and it’s just great to see something that you do that will last several years.”

“This is a big deal,” said Jessica McAtamney as the planting neared completion late in the afternoon. Jessica teaches Urban Gardening and AP Environmental Science at Saul and was instrumental in establishing the CSA Henry Got Crops! program. “The field wasn’t being used for anything purposeful and now we have something that will engage kids, somewhere outside of the classroom they can learn hands-on.”

“Many kids don’t really have a sense about the variety of produce, they have never seen so many different plants,” echoed Clare Hyre, Education Coordinator for Weavers Way Community Programs. “The Orchard specifically is adding another layer to increasing the students’ knowledge about farming and the food they eat, where that food comes from.”

The new orchard is just a beginning, for the trees and for many of the students. As the students tend to the orchard and produce farm and increase their knowledge about fresh organic foods, they will watch the efforts of their work grow and it is hoped, they will plant the seeds of knowledge in other places, including their own back yards.

To paraphrase a well-known quote: give students some fruits and vegetables and they will eat for a day; teach them how to grow their own and they will eat for a lifetime.

Harvest on Henry Update

Do not miss the second annual Henry Got Crops! CSA Harvest Festival on Saturday, October 20, from 1-4 PM.  The venue will be the farm. Please park on Henry Avenue.  This event will be a joint venture of Saul and Weavers Way Coop.  An autumnal good time will be guaranteed! Check us out on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HenryGotCrops And don’t forget about to register for our famous PIE BAKE OFF! For those generous souls who donate $100 or more to the Tractor Fundraiser, you will automatically be entered to win a spot at the judges table in the Pie Bake-Off. In order to go into the competition to be selected as our “Mystery Judge”, please make your donation of $100 or more by October 12 – and we will be in touch to let you know if you have been randomly picked to be a part of our judging panel.

To donate to the Tractor Fundraiser, please go to:

http://weaversway.coop/index.php?page=tractor-fundraiser

To sign up to this years’ Pie Bake-Off, please go to:

 http://tinyurl.com/HGCPie  or pick up a registration form at Henry Got Crops.