White Eggplant + Zucchini + Lemon Verbena

It’s not just Mother Nature who throws a curveball at farmers markets’ from time to time, but also man-made logistics can get the better of the hour. This week’s market had some starts and stops, some with our cooking apparatus, and later as the wind kicked up in the afternoon.

Amidst all that, the element that rose to the top of the day was the camaraderie and support from everyone at the market. Vendors like Lauren and Meg of The Bread Shop offered up their hot grill to cook the veggies when the stove was battling the wind. Carol from Seven Hills Farmstead and Jenny from Muddy River Herbals were a font of encouraging energy; and the ultimate goal to cook and share a new recipe was a stirring success.

This experience like many over the summer, where the community rallies to lift each other up, confirms for me the choice to quit a steady job and follow my passion.

It gives me strength to roll with the punches no matter what nature or man can throw my way.

The recipe that came about was a wonderful new twist to a tired stir-fry. I used the white or ‘Casper’ eggplants from Dick’s Market Garden, an oversized yet tender zucchini from Kelly’s Farm and some fragrant lemon verbena from Muddy River Herbals – a great departure from the usual herbs.

Serves 4

3 cups of chopped zucchini
1 medium eggplant chopped
1 clove of garlic minced
2 tbsp. roughly chopped lemon verbena leaves
2 tbsp. olive oil
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. crushed black pepper

1. Clean and chop the eggplant and zucchini into bite sized pieces, you can cut them long or round if you prefer a fancier shape
2. Mince the garlic and heat the oil in a stir-fry pan
3. Add the garlic and 1 tbsp. of the lemon verbena to the hot oil and stir for 2-3 minutes



4. Then add the veggies, and salt and pepper and stir-fry for about 7-10 minutes Tip – Start cooking the eggplant first and then add the zucchini to allow the eggplant to cook through almost to the point of when they’re done, this will help retain the crunch in the zucchini
5. Add the remaining lemon verbena and adjust any salt and pepper before turning off the stove

Serve with any small sized pasta, or as a side with your choice of protein. I piled it on salad greens this weekend and gave myself a treat to some new flavors with my daily lunch.

Follow the Fork!