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Town hall still has its bell tower, although I guess that modern conveniences like the telephone have replaced the bell for calling out the fire department (glad to know that it’s still available in a pinch). And the Mirriam-Gilbert PublicLibrary across the street is where I catch up on the local news with my knitting group.

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The nearby village green hosts the weekly farmers’ market during the summer and early fall. Wednesday was either the last or next-to-last market this year, and my bags weren’t very full. The figs went together with the few pears we harvested this year for a rustic tart (it’s already gone), and the tomatoes are at this moment cooking down with onion and other goodies into a thick sauce to make Imam Bayıldı (a dish found throughout Greece and Turkey).

The story goes that when a Turkish holy man (the imam) tasted the dish, he was so overwhelmed that he fainted. It is pretty delicious, and I could eat it almost every day. The main ingredient (eggplant) happens to be one of my favorite vegetables. If you’re not a fan, substitute zucchini or yellow squash (recipe below).

Tunbridge, VT — Sheep & Wool

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Vermont is the land of fall leaf displays, maple syrup, and covered bridges. This time of year as the days get crisp and call for wooly sweaters, leaves are beginning to turn splendid shades of yellow, orange and red. It is still early for the “big show” of color later this month and in to November, but not too early to head into wooly goodness in the form of the Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival in Tunbridge.

Truthfully, I only make it to one or at the most 2 of these a year. There is one not far from me (MA Sheep and Wool) at the end of May, and another (Fiber Festival of New England) in early November that are my regular haunts, but this year I opted for the nearby Connecticut fair and the Vermont festival in Tunbridge. It is fabulous to be smack in the center of sheep, goat and llama country here in New England.

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Right off the bat in the first barn I ran into an old friend — Terry Miller (and her Alpacas) from Snowshoe Farm. I don’t think I’ve seen her for 5-6 years, but she is very much the same, and had a booth full of yummy yarn and fleece. We didn’t have much time to catch up, as business was brisk — a great sign for the vendors there.

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Imam Bayıldı

• 3 medium eggplants
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 very large, soft fresh tomatoes (chopped)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of hot red pepper (optional)
• bunch of fresh parsley (chopped)
• cooked chickpeas or other beans (optional)
• olive oil

1. wash eggplants and dry. Slice into 1/4″ rounds (or strips) and spread out on a foil-covered cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in a 375° oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and wrap the foil over the eggplant to allow them to steam.
2. Chop onion and garlic and sauté in a medium fry pan on low heat. When the onions become translucent, add the chopped tomato and half of the parsley. Allow the mixture to cook down on low heat until about half of the water has evaporated. Add the cinnamon and red pepper along with the remaining parsley and cook a few more minutes to further reduce the water. The sauce should be almost dry before you add the eggplant.
3. In a slow cooker, add about 1/3 of the sauce. Layer 1/2 of the eggplant over the sauce and top with cooked chickpeas or other beans (if you are making this a main dish for a vegetarian meal, this adds protein). Add the remaining eggplant and top with the remaining sauce.
4. Set the slow cooker on low, and let it alone for a few hours while the fragrance of the cinnamon and tomatoes begins to fill the air.
5. Serve with crusty bread and olive oil for dipping.

I happen to like my slow cooker because I can go away and not pay attention to it. It is just as easy to do this in a casserole dish and bake for about 45 minutes at 375°. I also like to serve this with some feta cheese and olives. The sharp and sour flavors of those are a nice contrast to the very sweet tomato/eggplant mix.