Twenty Bag | Jul 14

Italian eggplant, bell peppers, rainbow carrots, heirloom potato mix, slicer tomatoes, cherry tomato mix, Italian basil and Wabi Sabi Farms OG elephant garlic—week after week, the Towles farm keeps the Bag interesting!

The last three ingredients listed in this week’s Twenty Bag rundown are pretty much all you need to pull together Food Network host Michael Chiarelli’s excellent (and easy!) Italian classic, pasta pomodorini. A garlic-heavy tomato sauce spiced with a bit of chili, the dish has been a go-to in my family ever since I first watched charming Chiarelli demonstrate it on his cooking show. It truly showcases the summer tomato and is ready in the time it takes to cook your spaghetti!

Keep the ‘maters coming, Harleston!

If you’ve never roasted a head of garlic, try this technique with the elephant garlic. It’s as easy as a 30 minute spin in the oven that results in a creamy, sweet rendition of the spicy allium. Here’s a how-to from Simply Recipes. We’ve subbed the paste for the minced garlic in this outstanding pea ravioli recipe.

The Towles farm has also had a great run of Japanese and Italian eggplant. If you’re looking for a new take on it and have a little time on your hands, explore this recipe for Baba Ganoush from Serious Eats. It’s accompanied by a well done step-by-step that simplifies execution. Garlicky and slightly smoky, pair the dip with fluffy charred pita bread for a happy hour starter guaranteed to put smiles on faces.

I grew up with stuffed peppers from both my Mom’s and Mimi’s kitchen—tasty tubs filled with a ground beef/ rive mixture, lined up nicely in a large casserole dish and baked till tender, covered in a tomato sauce. I’m planning to experiment with a meatless version—calling for recipes if anyone out there has a favorite!

Looking for more ideas? A quick search of sweetgrass + grits will take you to dozens of recipes curated with your Twenty Bag needs in mind.