In the Aug 15 Twenty Bag: Local peaches from Shuler Farms in Ridgeville, fingerling potatoes, North Carolina mountain tomatoes, organic sweet corn from Watsonia Farms in Monetta, SC, basil, baby eggplant mix, Italian sweet peppers, okra.

Thank you Harleston Towles and Rooting Down Farms!

The cute baby eggplant mix is a first for me. Knowing young eggplant is super tender and flavorful, I decided to simply cut each one in half lengthwise, park them on a lined sheet pan and toss them in good olive oil. For a little extra zing, I showered them lightly with Emeril Lagasse’s Essence seasoning, and roasted them for 30 minutes at 400 degrees, tossing them halfway through.

Both the tomatoes and fresh basil in this week’s Bag come to play in this recipe for Heirloom Tomato Pie from Southern Living.

For more ideas, a quick search of sweetgrass + grits will take you to plenty more recipes—all curated with an eye toward the weekly Twenty Bag harvest.

Harleston’s storage tips: If greens or herbs of any kind begin to wilt at any point or at pick up, put them in a big bowl of ice water for 20-30 minutes.  Almost all produce is washed and should go in the refrigerator. Peaches on the counter if they still need to ripen, otherwise in the fridge.  Tomatoes on the counter. Potatoes in a cool, DARK, place.  Light exposure will cause them to turn green.  Sweet corn, basil, eggplant, peppers, and okra in the fridge.