iEat Green - 10.15.20 Iain Tolhurst

Iain Tolhurst, is the Founder of Tolhurst Organic Farm, an organic farm in the UK, located in south Oxfordshire, between the Chilterns and the river Thames. The farm is made up of 17 acres over two fields and 2 acres within a 500 year old walled garden. Iain, better known as Tolly to his friends, has been farming there for over 30 years, with his business partner Lin, making Tolhurst Organic one of the longest running organic vegetable farms in England. Their farm was the first to attain the 'Stockfree Organic' symbol in 2004, which means they don't use any animal inputs at all, making their farming completely vegan.

Tolhurst Organic Farm supplies a wide range of organic fruit and vegetables through their box share, farm shop and stalls at local markets. The farm hosts farm walks, seminars and community events, as well as onsite catering. Tolly also runs a consultancy service, giving advice on organic conversion and production, and helping to train and educate farmers and growers for the future.

 

Spicy Cherry Tomato Pasta with Roasted Eggplant and Mushrooms

 

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant, cubed 
• 2 cups assorted mushrooms
• 1 large or 2 small onions, diced
• 4+2+1 tablespoons olive oil 
• 3 tablespoons drained jarred capers 
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 Tbs. minced garlic 
• 1 jalapeño pepper, diced fine
• Flake salt and black pepper 
• 16 ounces orecchiette or other shaped pasta 
• 4-5 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• ½ packed cup thinly sliced fresh basil, plus small whole leaves, for garnish 

 

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
2. In a medium size bowl, toss the eggplant cubes with 1 Tbs. olive oil, and spread out on cookie sheet. Roast under a broiler until they begin to brown. Set aside.
3. Sauté half the onions in a cast iron pan with 1 Tbs. olive oil, until they become translucent. Add the mushrooms and the minced garlic, and cook until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add 2 Tbs. Sherry and 1 Tbs tamari, and continue cooking until seared and liquid has evaporated. Set aside
4. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Pat the capers dry, then add them to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the capers to a plate lined with paper towel
5. Add the remaining onions to the skillet, and sauté for a few minutes. Add the jalapeño pepper and sliced garlic to the pan and cook until soft. Push the onions and peppers to the outside of pan, and add the remaining olive oil and the tomato paste to the center of the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until tomato paste darkens in color and deepens in flavor, about 2 minutes. 
6. Add the pasta to the boiling water and reduce heat to medium. Cook according to package instructions until al dente.
7. While the pasta cooks, add the cherry tomatoes to the skillet, season with salt and pepper and cook over medium-high, stirring, 5 minutes. Add 2/3 cup pasta cooking water from the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to fall apart and the liquid becomes saucy, about 10 minutes.
8. Add the eggplant and mushrooms to the pan, and cook another 5 minutes.
9. Drain the pasta, and transfer it back into the pot. Add the tomato sauce to the pot, along with half the basil and the chopped parsley. Adjust salt and pepper to taste
10. Serve immediately and top with the capers and remaining basil.