Farmers in Iasi (pronounced Yash), Romania, once saw their crops used as animal fodder. At harvest time, trees in their orchards hung heavy with fresh fruit, and eggplants and peppers grew plentifully in their gardens. But overabundant harvests caused a glut in local markets, which drove prices so low that farmers couldn’t recover their costs. It seemed better to feed the produce to their livestock than to let it go to waste.
From 2008 to 2012, World Vision brought the villagers together in a cooperative where they processed fruits into jams, and peppers and eggplants into an Eastern European spread called zacusca. Families then sold the jams and zacusca in local markets.
Enhancing produce to increase its value helps ensure that families have income year-round instead of only at harvest time. Today, World Vision continues this type of work through its THRIVE (Transforming Household Resilience in Vulnerable Environments) program in Central America, Asia, and Africa by training farmers on ways to diversify their incomes, helping connect them to local markets, and much more.
Through THRIVE, community members in many African countries combine their resources to purchase mills so that in addition to selling their corn, they can also grind and sell cornmeal throughout the year. Whether repurposing eggplant, peppers, or corn, diversifying income streams means that families can thrive even amid unstable weather and market conditions.
For people purchasing the zacusca in Iasi, they just knew that it tasted delicious. And if that also meant financial stability for families, then all the better.
INGREDIENTS
1 medium eggplant
1 16-ounce jar roasted red peppers
½ medium onion
1 cup tomato sauce
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil, divided
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Wash the eggplant, then use a knife to poke holes in the skin to allow steam to escape.
- Place the whole eggplant onto a large baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper.
- Bake the eggplant for 20 minutes, then flip and bake for another 20 minutes or until the eggplant is very soft.
- Carefully cut open the eggplant and scoop out the flesh from the skin. Place the flesh in a strainer and allow to drain for about 10 minutes.
- Drain the jar of roasted red peppers.
- Add the peppers and eggplant to a food processor. Pulse until they are chopped finely but not so fine that they form a paste.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet. Add the chopped onion and sauté until the onion is translucent.
- Add the eggplant and red pepper mixture, tomato sauce, oil, and bay leaf to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on desired thickness. Remove the bay leaf and adjust seasonings to taste.
- Serve warm or cold on hearty slices of bread. Will keep in airtight container in the refrigerator for a week.
