Eggpant "Meatballs" and Roasted Tomato Sauce

I have been cooking like CRAZY

There is so much coming out of my garden, I can't keep up

But, I am loving it!

See those carrots to the right on my messy counter?

Well, I had just finished whining to a farmer at market on Wednesday

that I had planted carrots three times and not had any luck

Upon returning I decided to check one more time in the

lower garden - HA!  Where did they come from?

Very exciting

 The nights are getting cooler here and I feel a sense of

urgency to use the heat loving veggies out there before

they suddenly disappear, like my eggplant, and of course

I have been roasting and freezing tomatoes like there is no tomorrow

The big tomatoes I quarter, lay on a sheet tray, drizzle with 

olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and toss a few garlic cloves around

Then I pop them into a 350-375 degree oven and roast them

until they are soft, caramelized and deliciously aromatic

Take them out, put them through a food mill,

leaving the seeds and skin behind and freeze the

sweet acidic sauce in containers for the long winter

All those sun gold cherry tomatoes on the counter - they go in

by themselves with just oil and a little salt

Last night I heated a few tablespoons of olive oil in a sauce pan,

added a T of chopped garlic, let it sizzle and then poured 

in the sauce from the sun golds with a pinch of salt

I simmered it about 15 minutes while I cooked

a batch of soba noodles and then tossed the cooked noodles into the sauce

I topped the whole thing with these delicious eggplant "meatballs"

and we ate like pigs!!

EGGPLANT "MEATBALLS"

4-5 cups cubed raw eggplant, skin on or off, your call

1 cup +/- diced onion

(I used red cipolline from Carding Brook Farm - so good Jen!)

1 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, finely ground

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 cup grated pecorino or parmesan cheese

1 cup bread crumbs*

Crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Kosher salt to taste

2 eggs

Sauté the eggplant, onions and a pinch of salt in a bit of oil until tender and golden

Place in a bowl with the remaining ingredients except the eggs

Toss and taste for salt

Add eggs and combine well

Form mixture into golf ball sized balls and place on a baking tray

drizzle with oil and bake in a 375 degree oven until deep golden brown

this takes approximately 20-25 minutes and I turn the tray once in my oven

Serve warm with whatever else your heart desires.

At the cafe we made vegetarian meatball subs with these

for a special sandwich and they were a favorite

*to make these gluten free without any gluten free bread around 

I used 1/2 cup almond meal from my nut milk

with 1 T arrowroot powder)

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

I am headed to Nebo on North Haven for dinner tonight

with friends and then serving lunch at Carding Brook Farm on Sunday

Maybe I will see you there - and you can take some pictures for me

because my new camera isn't due here until next week :)

Kyra