Allium Appreciation Society

As we slip further into fall, we're still hanging on to a few of our summer crops. After a pretty good run with tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, they'll be slowing down towards the end of the week. And then it'll be a long, long time before we see another holy grail tomato-- in-season, field-grown, and vine-ripened. For now, we can savor the time we have left. 

Casey with the prettiest tomato of the day.
Photo: Sophie Schillue

Garlic is back in the share this week, to join its allium family members--leeks and some specialty onions. Our garlic crop was picked in July, a little smaller than I'd like but otherwise a healthy crop that got a lot of compost in the spring. It cured in the greenhouse for over a month, drying out and

Greenhouse full of garlic!

sealing in flavor with help from the extra heat in there. The specialty onions we have this week are cippolini onions and shallots. Cippolinis are those flat, almost donut-shaped onions, that are sweet and mild. Deborah Madison, author of the famous Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, has a new cookbook out--Vegetable Literacy--and I've been dipping into it here and there. Her section on cipollinis includes the following advice:

"While you can do all those things with cipollini onions you do with your basic storage onion, they're an onion to be featured whole, not just used as an ingredient. It makes sense to cook them in a way that showcases their form, such as braised with rosemary and sage, pan roasted, oven roasted, or grilled. They make a special treat to offer friends and family. The only challenge to cippolini is in peeling them. I find it works best to drop them into a pan of boiling water for a half minute or so, then carefully pull back the skins and cut them off along with part of the root. Or you can pour boiling water over them, then slip off the outer skins after taking away a thin slice at the base."

In your share this week: tomatoes, leeks, husk cherries, garlic, cippolinis and shallots, radishes, and PYO cherry tomatoes and flowers. Remember to bring back any little green containers you have!

Recipe of the Week
This is one of farm apprentice Sophie's favorite tomato recipes. It smells great in the oven and is perfect for a slightly chilly autumn evening. 

Scalloped Tomatoes
from Ina Garten at barefootcontessa.com

Good olive oil 
2 cups (½-inch diced) bread from a French boule, crusts removed 
2.5 lb red tomatoes, 1/2 inch dice 
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves) 
2 tablespoons sugar 
2 teaspoon kosher salt 
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
½ cup julienned basil leaves, lightly packed 
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12 inch) sauté pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and stir to coat with the oil. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the cubes are evenly browned. 

Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. When the bread cubes are done, add the tomato mixture and continue to cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the basil. 

Pour the tomato mixture into a shallow (6 to 8 cup) baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Serve hot or warm.