ratatouille tacos with pesto crema

+ a big update from the farm

Happy August! Aka the hardest, hottest, most depleting month to be a farmer. August is the month when farmers regret all those big, shiny plans we schemed up in the quiet, cool winter months, and all we want is a shower and a nap and maybe a big burrito.

And honestly, this August (and in the months to come), I’m taking a step back.

I feel like the universe has been telling me (or maybe yelling at me?) all season long that I need to slow down, and I just want to go on the record and say HELLO UNIVERSE, YES I HEAR YOU, MESSAGE RECEIVED. I’ve already talked about it on here in bits and pieces, but this summer has been particularly hard. Even though I scaled back the farm considerably, the reality is that I still took on too much in this season of life with two very young kids who need and deserve the bulk of my time and attention. And as someone who genuinely loves to work – especially this work of growing food – I’m having to drastically recalibrate how much I’m capable of accomplishing in the limited time when we have childcare / when the babes are sleeping. (I know so many of you are in this exact same phase of life, and I just want to say, I see you and I’m proud of you).

This season of life is hard, but it’s also very sweet and fleeting. In a few years, both Sawyer and Hudson will be in school during the day, and my time will be freed up in a way that I vaguely remember before becoming a mom. So right now, I’m letting go of some (work-oriented) things in hopes that in a few years, I can pick them up, dust them off, and try again. People always say that life is short, but (hopefully!) life is also very long, and I’m learning to lean in to all the different seasons of this long and winding life, embracing them for what they are (and for what they aren’t). I love farming, but I love my family much more, and so in this season I’m focused on pouring into them/us.

And so, what exactly does this all mean? I’ve decided to pause our farm’s CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program for at least a year. That means no fall CSA, and no CSA in 2025. I’ll still host some hands-on farm to table workshops, but it will be a very limited calendar.

To be clear, this doesn’t mean that I’m going to stop growing food! I love farming too much to stop, so I’ll still be growing a decent amount of veggies, herbs, fruit, and flowers that I’m hoping to sell here via a laid back honor system farmstand a few days a week, and I’ll also be sharing veggies with folks who want to volunteer out here and learn more about gardening. And if anything, I’ll be spending more time, not less, digging deeper with this newsletter. There are so many recipes and topics that I want to explore here, and I’m eager to dedicate more brain space to this community and this corner of the internet.

Honestly, it’s been a journey just getting to this place and saying all this out loud (and to not feel like I’ve failed somehow), but I can already feel the stress melting off my shoulders. I’m grateful and energized for this next chapter, which will hopefully be filled with fewer meltdowns and more time to stop and smell the flowers.

(PS – If you’re also in a season of letting things go to make room for something else, I’d love to hear about it and root you on! You can share what’s on your mind in the comments).

Okay, whew, if you’re still here, thanks for sticking with me. Here’s a snapshot of our large size CSA members received in their boxes for this 9th week of our Summer CSA (one more week to go!): shishito peppers, red bell peppers, mini bell peppers, purple potatoes, cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, roma tomatoes, onions, and fresh tarragon.

Need some culinary inspiration for the weekend? Here’s my weekly round up of seasonal recipes from around Substack (and my ever-growing recipe index) to help you eat like a farmer:

• Summer Succotash by yours truly :)

• Peach n’ Corn Pesto Pasta Salad by

  katie
  /
  the sunday stack

• Catalan Tomato and Onion Sofrito by

  José Andrés
  /
  Longer Tables with José Andrés

Keep reading for my new recipe this week, ratatouille tacos with pesto crema – it’s the first Friday of the month, which means the recipe is available to ALL subscribers! For full access to my recipes every week, consider joining as a paid subscriber.

Whenever I’m drowning in summertime veggies and need a good excuse to use them up (aka me right now), ratatouille is always the answer.

And the other night – while sipping on an ice cold margarita, obviously – I had the (brilliant?!) idea to use ratatouille as a colorful and veggie-packed taco filling, and I’m here to insist that ratatouille tacos DEFINITELY need to be a thing.

In the recipe, you’ll see that I’ve added a can of chickpeas to the mix, just to give the veggies a bit more texture, plus some added protein for the meal. But if you aren’t digging the chickpeas, just skip them.

But what takes these tacos to the next level is the *pesto crema* – which is basically just sour cream with some fresh pesto, lemon juice, and salt stirred in. The end result is a tangy, herby, salty and creamy sauce that you’ll want to eat straight from the spoon (or just dolloped on your tacos).

Basically, these are the ultimate summer tacos, and one of the best ways to eat like a farmer as we enter the abundant/chaotic month of August. Happy cooking!

Keep reading for today’s recipe, along with a 1-page PDF for easy printing.

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PS – It’s the first Friday of the month, which means *everyone* gets access today’s recipe. If you enjoy this newsletter and want to receive a new hyper-seasonal recipe every week, consider becoming a paid subscriber! Paid subscribers also get access to my (ever-growing) full recipe archive, handy gardening guides, and monthly bonus content.

Ratatouille Tacos with Pesto Crema

Serves 4

Ratatouille Tacos With Pesto Crema (printer Version)

47KB ∙ PDF file

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INGREDIENTS

• 1 large red onion, cut into ¼ inch-thick half moons

• 3 red sweet bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut to ½-inch dice

• 2 medium zucchini (about 1lb), cut into ½-inch thick rounds or half moons

• 1lb globe or Japanese/asian eggplant, cut into ½-inch pieces

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 6 whole cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved (or roughly chop 2-3 large ripe tomatoes)

• Splash balsamic vinegar

• ½ cup sour cream

• ¼ cup pesto (homemade or store bought)

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

• Handful fresh basil, for garnish

• Corn tortillas

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. In a large bowl, combine 1 sliced red onion, 3 diced red bell peppers, 2 sliced zucchini, 1lb diced eggplant, 1 can chickpeas, and 6 peeled + smashed cloves of garlic. Add ⅓ cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper to the bowl and use your hands or a large spoon to toss everything together. 

3. Pour the vegetables onto *two* rimmed baking trays (if the veggies are piled too high on one tray, they won’t caramelize as nicely). Roast for 30-35 minutes, stirring once or twice while cooking, until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown. I also recommend switching the racks that your baking trays are on halfway through cooking, to ensure even roasting (my oven is hottest on the bottom, so trays closest to the bottom cook way faster).

3. While the veggies are roasting, make the pesto crema – in a medium bowl, combine ½ cup sour cream and ¼ cup pesto and stir to combine. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice and kosher salt to taste (I usually add at least ¼ teaspoon salt). The crema should be tangy, herby, a bit salty, and delicious. 

4. Lower the oven temperature to 400F and divide 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes (or 2-3 large tomatoes, roughly chopped) equally onto the two baking trays, stirring to combine them with the other veggies that have been roasting. Put the trays back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes, or until the veggies are tender and caramelized to your liking. Combine the veggies from both trays into a bowl and stir in a splash of balsamic vinegar. Taste the veggies and add a bit more kosher salt if needed. 

5. Time to make tacos! Warm up your tortillas in the microwave or in a hot clean skillet, then fill them with the ratatouille mixture and top them with the pesto crema, some sliced fresh basil, and any other taco toppings you’d like. Enjoy!

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