Twenty Bag | Sep 5

In the Sep 5 Twenty Bag: Gala apples from Lively Orchards, NC, squash and zucchini, cucumbers from Hickory Bluff Farms, Holly Hill, fingerling potatoes, basil, Japanese eggplant, okra, Italian peppers.

Thank you Harleston Towles and Rooting Down Farms!

The cute cukes in this week’s Bag add some nice crunch to a light green salad. Or check out this recipe for old school pickled cucumbers from New York Times food writer Sam Sifton. The easy process yields a crunchy condiment that’s good for the gut by using natural fermentation instead of vinegar.

Slice open the slender Japanese eggplant lengthwise, brush with good olive oil and sheet pan roast it for a quick and super easy side. Another idea: steam it and drizzle with a garlicky dressing.

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. Apples on the counter or in the fridge. Squash, cukes, eggplant, okra, and peppers in the fridge in a plastic bag.  Basil in the fridge well protected by a plastic bag.  Potatoes in the pantry or another cool DARK place.  The light will cause them to turn green.