Happy Bastille Day, where the French had had enough with the huge discrepancies between rich and poor. (Even recent past President Nicolas Sarkozy was hugely unpopular for his rich-favoring policies.) Back then, Louis XIV set up his palace at Versailles with plenty of room to house the wealthy aristocrats he wanted to keep tabs on. Louis XIV was also the one responsible for the American lawn. Having huge areas of simple grass that had to be babied and watered frequently was a sign of luxury, since the wealthy had no need for land to grow food on (aside from the land they rented to peasants and then taxed and took their produce from on top of that).
Today, the Versailles symbol of wealth lives on in cloverless lawns achieved through chemicals that can contaminate water supplies and landscaping that is sometimes a minimum of non-native shrubs to hide the foundation of a house. This is the American Dream of people who see raised beds as eye-sores and shriek at the sight of chickens. But for what I believe are many more, there are those who's dream is to create food gardens in vacant lots, on roof tops, on the corners of streets. This is a basic right to have access to food of our choosing. This is in the continuing Victory gardens of England, all over France and Germany, and of course, America. Driving around construction to get to the Farmer's Market last week, I saw many such sidewalk gardens. This IS the new norm.
There will always be those who do not want to see where their food comes from, even when you drop it off at their door wrapped in a ribbon. This is the growing revolution. The French stitched secret messages on quilts and hung them over the front rail or passed them from house to house. We do the same, a shovel-full at a time, a shared seedling at a time. More and more, communities are banding together to teach about planting, harvesting, canning, pollination. Check the RWP Community Garden and Southside Community Land Trust pages to learn more. I will be leading a workshop on cooking with herbs and there will be a recipe swap September 8th at 10 a.m. here.
We are still very short of our goal to publish our local foods cook book. Teach a person to garden, and they will have food and community. Teach them to cook it, and they will have more. Please donate at the "cook book" link above if you can. Meanwhile, here's a great (French peasant) way to use those seasonal veggies:
Gluten-Free/Vegan Option
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Ratatouille
Taste of Mediterranean France
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Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 30 minutes Makes 8 servings
4 cups mixed summer squash (crook- and straight-neck,
patty pan or scalloped, zucchini, etc.)*
1 medium Italian eggplant (I love Rotonda Bianca Sfumata
di Rosa, an heirloom variety with few seeds)*
1/2 yellow onion*
5 Roma tomatoes*
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced width-wise
1 tbs. double-concentrated tomato paste
2 tbs. olive oil, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
1 tbs. fresh stemmed and finely chopped lemon thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
This dish cooks up fast with the aid of a mandoline. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Slice squash, eggplant, onion, and tomatoes 1/4” thin, keeping each vegetable separate. There is no need to salt the eggplant first or even peel it. Cutting the vegetables this way is fast, attractive, and saves on cooking time. In a covered skillet or Dutch oven, heat one tbs. olive oil. Sauté garlic one minute, stirring frequently. Add onions and tomato paste, stirring well. Cook until onions wilt, about five minutes. Add eggplant and tomatoes, cover, and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water if necessary to prevent sticking. Stir in herbs, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with cheese. Layer with squash and drizzle with another tablespoon of olive oil. Cover and cook at 375ºF 10-15 minutes, until squash are soft. Serve by carefully spooning onto plates to retain layers. Great with pasta or warm crusty bread. Use leftovers in a frittata or on a pizza. Tastes even better reheated.
* Cut flower end from vegetables and hold stem while slicing on mandoline. Mandoline blades are very sharp, so take care to keep fingers clear. Although many models are pricey, a 4-piece set can be found for less than $20. Use safety guard to slice onion on mandoline, or slice by hand.
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