Pick-your-own veggie season is coming into full swing at Weaver’s Orchard. This year, we’re happy to offer a number of varieties of peppers, cherry tomatoes, slicing tomatoes, eggplants, and cucumbers! With so many varieties of blackberries and a stunning field of flowers available for cutting, there are still plenty of reasons to come out to PYO at Weaver’s Orchard before the summer is over.
This roasted eggplant and summer veggie dip highlights so many late-summer vegetables, and while it roasts in the oven for a considerable amount of time, this dip is a knockout dish! The ingredients require little preparation—honestly, it would be a great dish to work on with a child who is developing their knife skills! Once everything is chopped into cubes, you’ll toss it in a beautiful scarlet- to ruby-red sauce that has equal parts sweet, sour, and savory notes, and then throw it into the oven.
After roasting, the veggies break down perfectly into a luxurious, buttery texture that tastes like perfection and can be served in so many ways. We ate it with bread the first night, had it on a sandwich the next day with a thick slab of mozzarella, and also enjoyed it simply as is.
Check our current PYO offerings and hours here, and enjoy!
Roasted Eggplant and Summer Veggie Dip
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant – chopped into large cubes
- 1 large onion – chopped
- Tomatoes – 1 large heirloom or a ½ pint of sun gold
- 1 zucchini – chopped
- 1 poblano pepper – chopped (seeds removed to reduce heat if desired)
- 1 red pepper – chopped
- 6–8 garlic cloves – peeled and smashed with a knife or your hand
Sauce
- ½ c. olive oil
- ¼ c. tomato paste
- ¼ c. maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp. lemon or lime juice
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 1 Tbsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. paprika (regular or smoked paprika is great)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 F.
- Assemble the sauce in a large mixing bowl.
- Chop all of the veggies into cubes and place into the large mixing bowl, tossing them with the sauce.
- Transfer to a large baking dish, cover with aluminium foil and cook in the oven for 35 minutes.
- Remove foil, give the veggies a stir and return to the oven for an additional 35-45 minutes. You want all of the veggies to be soft and tender, they should almost melt into the sauce when you touch them with a spoon.
- Remove from the heat and serve hot, warm or cooled with crusty bread, or even to top pasta or rice.