Eagle Street Rooftop Farm - North Brooklyn, New York

Eagle Street Rooftop Farm is the first commercial rooftop farm located on Eagle Street between Franklin and West in Greenpoint, North Brooklyn (the G train to Manhattan is the closest stop).  It was started by Annie Novak and her partner Ben Flanner and supplies a community supported agriculture (CSA) program, an onsite farm market, and bicycle fresh produce to area restaurants.  Translated from Japanese“teikei” means “food with the farmer’s face” and was the name given to the first CSA formed in Japan in the 1960s. 

In partnership with food education organization Growing Chefs, the rooftop farm hosts a range of farm-based educational and volunteer programs.

Growing Chefs' Glenn Robinson created this recipe for Baba Ganoush:

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 large or 3 small eggplants
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 pinch of crushed black pepper
2 sprigs parsley
1 dash of chili powder
3 tablespoon tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place eggplant in oven on middle rack and bake for approximately 30 minutes. Turn eggplant over at 15 minute mark. Take out of oven when skin is brown and loose. Let cool 10 minutes. Peel off skin of eggplant and place eggplant in blender or food processor. Add garlic cloves, lemon juice, salt, pepper, tahini, and olive oil. Mix together. To present, drizzle with olive oil, lightly dust with chili powder, and add a pinch of finely chopped parsley.

Glenn Robinson achieved his BA in communications from Chapman University in Southern California and since then has purveyed the world of arts, culture, food, sustainability, and society. In 2004 he created and published an online culture zine that featured undiscovered artists, musicians, writers, and places of interests. Soon after he found himself directing a small art gallery with a focus on emerging artists. After transplanting to New York Glenn's experience in the art world culminated in his position as Artistic Director for a boutique advertising agency, however with the abundance of all his accomplishments his fulfillment was lacking. Because of this he dove head first into the local food systems of New York, working closely with organic farms and farmers he acted as a conduit to the accessibility of healthy food to the public.