Nutrition educators from the University of Massachusetts Extension Nutrition Education Program in Fall River offered a cooking demonstration at the Ruggles Farmers' Market on September 21, 2011 with a easy-to-make pesto penne using eggplant from local farms. Nutrition educators Lindsey Magan and Jessica Wilcox demonstrated how to make the dish using a pesto made with arugula, garlic, and parmesan cheese added to whole grain pasta and eggplant sauteed in olive oil. Much to their delight, shoppers who watched the demonstration were given samples of the dish to try. Click here for the video of the demonstration. Click here for the recipe. Click here for photos, video and recipes from other farmers' market cooking demonstrations by the UMass Extension nutrition educators. For more information, contact Pat Bebo at 508-675-7315.

(Top row, left) Shoppers look over the variety of vegetables from local farms. (Top row, center and right) University of Massachusetts Extension nutrition educators Lindsey Magan and Jessica Wilcox get ready to demonstrate how to prepare the pesto penne with eggplant dish. (Middle row, left) Market manager Rachel Goldsby chats with WIC (Women, Infants, Children) Nutrition Program staff member Lisa Alves while watching the demonstration. (Middle row, right) The pesto is mixed with the sauteed eggplant and whole grain pasta. (Bottom row, center and right) While nutrition educator Susan Loughlin looks on, Ruggles Farmers' Market customer Janice Cabral samples some pesto penne while Mon Meach looks over the ingredients in the pesto.