Ahhh, Eggplant and Peppers

Today was the first day at the Santa Rosa market that I could purchase both eggplant and peppers from Triple T Ranch and Farm at the same time. It automatically makes me think of cooking and the Grilled Ratatouille recipe from my book. I had already bought both vegetables in Sebastopol from Neil at EasySweet Farm for a class that I did. Those became part of Quinoa, Corn, Eggplant and Chile Pilaf for a South Beach Summer class. At the end of class there was only a taste left. It was quite yummy and I wished that I had more. With the big push toward whole grains these days, people are finally starting to eat quinoa which is one of my favorites. (You will hear this over and over. Sorry.)

The weather here in Sonoma County has finally caught on that it is SUMMER. We are having our second heat wave since July, and it's hot but only in the 90s (yet in an effort to make us feel cooler the newspaper predicts weather in the 80s. It does not help cool me). The tomatoes are finally quickly ripening on the vine but my cucmbers are getting parched. It doesn't usually rain here in the summer so watering is crucial. I hand water so that I can inspect my plants daily to be sure that they are healthy and producing - they way that you will be once you eat their fruits (which are vegetables). I am gearing up for a talk on the health benefits of phytochemicals but I'll save that for another day.