This hearty dish incorporates all the tastes of summer into an amazing sauce. Serve over pasta, rice, or polenta, or as a stand alone dish with a runny egg on top. A great way to use up odds and ends from the garden while providing your body the nutritional health from eating a rainbow of vegetables.

Recipe by our farm chef, Carly Silberman

Yield 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 6 Tbsp Olive Oil, divided
  • 1 Medium Eggplant, cubed
  • 1 Sweet Onion
  • 3 Cloves Garlic, chopped
  • ½-1 Jalapeño, diced
  • 4 Stalks Rainbow Swiss Chard, stems chopped and leaves torn, divided
  • 1 Medium Zucchini, diced
  • 3 Ripe Tomatoes, diced; may substitute 1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 2 Tbsp Fresh Basil, chopped
  • 1-2 Squash Blossom, sliced into ribbons
  • 2 ½ tsp Salt and Pepper Mix*, divided
  • Prepared grain like polenta, rice, or pasta, (optional)
  • Runny Eggs, (optional)

* Premix ¾ quantity salt to ¼ quantity ground pepper and keep the blend handy for cooking

Directions

  1. Place diced eggplant into a colander. Sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt and let sweat for 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile in heavy pot, heat oil to medium. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil, sauté onion until translucent, approx. 5 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle with ½ tsp salt and pepper mix. Add garlic and jalapeño and cook 1 additional minute.
  3. Add chopped rainbow chard stems (reserve leaves for later) and cubed zucchini. Drizzle with additional 2 Tbsp oil and ½ tsp salt and pepper. Sauté for 4 minutes, stirring often. Transfer vegetable mixture from heavy pot to a bowl and set aside.
  4. Return empty pot to stove. Increase heat to medium high. Add 2 Tbsp oil. With paper towel pat eggplant dry, add cubes to pot. Sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown, flip and repeat, 2-3 minutes per side. Add more oil if sticking.
  5. Reduce heat to medium, add diced tomatoes, torn chard leaves, and vegetable mixture to the eggplant in pot. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil. Portion on top of polenta (or other grain) and garnish with squash blossom ribbons and a runny egg.