The Farmers' Market

I absolutely adore going to the farmers' market. Row after row of fresh vegetables, fruit and flowers delight and tempt the senses. And everything is such a good deal! For someone who loves food and a bargain as much as I do, this place is paradise! Yesterday I went to the Minneapolis farmers' market (right by the Basilica) with Rick and his mom Jill and we had such a delightful time. While there, we feasted on cinnamon-roasted almonds and freshly-squeezed limeade. We left laden down with deep purple eggplants, sweet corn, burst-in-your-mouth cherry tomatoes, yellow onions, juicy-ripe cherries, aromatic basil, 3 kinds of honey and deliciously spicy salsa.

To use up some of the abundance, I decided to make what has become one of my favorite Rachael Ray recipes: Pasta with Roasted Eggplant Sauce. To begin, cut 2 baby eggplants into 1 inch cubes and place in a bowl with 6 peeled cloves of garlic. Toss with olive oil and salt & pepper and spread onto a baking sheet covered in foil. Bake for about 20 minutes at 425º. When done, puree eggplant and garlic in a food processor. In a large skillet on the stove, heat olive oil over medium heat and add one finely chopped yellow onion. When onion is just beginning to brown, add eggplant-garlic mixture and stir together. Once heated through, add one 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes, combine and salt & pepper to taste. Before serving over pasta, add torn or chopped basil and top with parmesan cheese. I had enough of everything to double the recipe, which adds just a couple minutes more prep time. Joe, Liz, Rick and I ate it fresh last night for dinner and Nicole, Liz, Mom and I will all be partaking in the leftovers for the next few days. This is a great spin on pasta sauce, making a heartier, more nutritious sauce with a richer, bolder taste.
Did I mention that I love the farmers' market???