Week of Jan 28- Feb 3

This week we have red potatoes, asparagus, onions, tomatoes, green beans, cabbage, bell peppers. Here's the menu plan:

fried rice and Chinese green beans
This slaw recipe with fajitas
Irish colcannon
Sauted asparagus with lemon vinegarette and margarita pizza
Magic cauliflower soup here 
And this indian rice

Also want to make a decent batch of granola, 2 cakes- a layered carrot cake and a chocolate torte (I have two birthdays and a homecoming to make up for in cake.

Menu for January 9-13

After being without a bountiful basket for some time now we finally recieved one and an italian pack! Hurray! We have lettuce, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, avacados, broccoli, zucchini, cucumber, eggplant, mushrooms, and onions. Here is this week's plan.

twice baked potatoes with pesto (From Sarah Raven's In Season, pg 309) and a salad
Stuffed eggplant with maranara (from Deborah Madison, 369) over pasta, with a salad
Chole Palak
stir fried noodles
quesadilla with guacamole

Also making sweet potato muffins/bread for breakfast.

Menu for October 23- 29

This week we received tomatoes, avocados, crookneck squash, lettuce, mushrooms, and broccoli in our basket. We also have an eggplant left over from last week.  Here's this weeks plan:
Roasted eggplant Parmesan with squash and mushrooms and this simple pasta
Drunken noodles I adapt the veggies and protein and don't use thai basil unless I have it.
Pizza!
Burritoes or quesadillas with this salsa and guacamole
I want to try this little bean soup soon
And this salad and dressing but with different grains I'm cooking up some millet right now

Menu for Oct 16-22

 In our basket this week was cauliflower, avocado, carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, tomatoes, two heads of lettuce. We also have a couple of beautiful eggplants from the Schwieders, and some zucchini left over. Here's the plan this week:

This broccoli salad again. yum!
Eggplant and zucchini Parmesan I'll be cutting down the cheese and using homemade pasta sauce.
Kidney Bean Curry and brown basmati rice
Ratatouille's Ratatouille- like from the movie
Major amounts of salad- Caesar salad, salad with fruit and nuts, taco salad, etc.
Roasted Cauliflower soup and this little bread
carottes râpées, or grated carrot salad
Hummus with bread feel free to switch out the ingredients on the hummus to your liking, after all it's only middle-eastern beans dip. Other versions here and here
And I still need to try this cucumber salad recipe

Menu for September 18-24

This week we got lots of broccoli, onions, little cucumbers, sweet potatoes, and avocados for vegetables. And for fruits we got apples, plums, two types of pears, grapes, bananas, and figs in our basket. We also have a ton of tomatoes from my parents garden. Here's what I'm doing with it.

Pico de Gallo(fresh. chunky salsa) Close to this. I double the onion and use a little tomato paste to bring it together.It would be fantastic with avocado.

Enchiladas I mix sauteed onions with rice, beans, corn, a little cheese, and seasonings for filling and top with the sauce of my choice. Top with a sprinkle of cheese and bake.

Refried beans Awesome recipe here if your up to it. I use beans I freeze after cooking and usually use a little butter or vegetable oil to fry mine. I also use all types of beans.

Broccoli and tofu stir-fry over sticky rice- I use this sauce recipe then put in whatever veggies I want.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes  I'll add a touch honey or sugar to mine for sweetness and cut some of the cream.

Zucchini Gratin- Cut down on the cheese here and maybe replace butter for a more heart healthy oil

Baked or boiled potatoes with chili and corn on the cob I used left over chili I froze

Poor man soup (Lentil and rice soup) Aka we need to go grocery shopping soup. I use all onions instead of shallots and throw in some garlic. We top it with whatever we have.

 And for lunches: Corn salad  recipe to follow, something like this pasta 

Corn Salad

• 4 ears sweet corn
• 1/2 cut fresh basil
• 1 c cucumber cubed
• 1 c tomato cubed
• 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil
• 2 TBSP lime juice
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• extra olive oil for grilling

Brush corn with olive oil and grill, either on a grill or under the broiler until kernels are brown and begin to pop. Slice corn off of cob and combine in a bowl with basil, cucumber, and tomatoes. Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Toss the salad with the sauce and refrigerate until chilled. 

 

Menu Planning for Sept 6-10

This week we just got back from a trip to Yellowstone and we are without a bountiful basket. So I planned this weeks menu according to what was available in my parents garden. Here is this weeks dinner menu:

Vegetarian chili (recipe to follow) and corn bread (I switched out the white flour with whole wheat)

Boiled/ Smashed potatoes with cheesy vegetable soup (making this one up as I go, but getting inspiration from here and here)

Egg and veggie fried rice (making it up) and gyoza (recipe to follow)

Butternut squash risotto and salad

Also I want to make this corn salad, and something like this to use up our zucchini. And as tomatoes come on I'll be canning whole tomatoes and I want to try this tomato jam.

Vegetarian Chili

Because this recipe call for lots of different peppers I just used all the peppers we had on hand from our garden and others gardens to equal about 1 cup. I also used a mix of dried beans I had boiled that day, so feel free to play around with this one

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 green bell peppers, chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chile peppers, drained
• 2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and season with bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook and stir until onion is tender, then mix in the celery, green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and green chile peppers.. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Mix the tomatoes into the pot. Season chili with chili powder, brown sugar and pepper. Stir in the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in the corn, and continue cooking 5 minutes before serving.

 Vegetable Gyoza
Feel free to substitute your choice of vegetables for the filling. Bean sprouts would be really good.

• 1 package pot sticker wrappers
• 1/2 a block chopped tofu 
• 1-2 cups cabbage, finely chopped (green or bok choy)
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1/4 cup shredded carrots
• 1-4 clove garlic chopped (how garlicky are you?)
• 1 tsp fresh ginger chopped
• 1 egg (optional)

Sauce-

• 2 TBSP soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1-2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp rice vinegar

Stir fry all filling ingredients in a hot wok or frying pan with a little oil until cabbage is wilted and veggies begin to brown. Transfer to a food processer and chop until mixture begins to stick together.  Add all sauce ingredients to the filling mixture. Put a small amount of filling in the middle of the pot sticker wrapper and seal with a little water. From here you may freeze them or, to cook, place them in a hot wok or frying pan coated with oil. Add a couple tablespoons of water and cover the pan. After a few minutes of steaming remove the lid and let them brown. Dip in your choice of sauce.