Every Tuesday we get a fruit box from Frog Hollow Farm, and on Thursday we get fruit and veg from Eatwell Farm. We also grow food in our garden. Eatwell posts a list of expected produce a few days ahead of delivery, which helps me plan. Sometimes I sit down with a new cookbook or magazine; sometimes I pull out old favorite recipes; sometimes there is no time to sit down and I scribble onto our kitchen calendar whenever an idea strikes. No matter how it happens, I like to have a shopping list pulled together by Thursday so we only have to go to the grocery store once. Or twice. Or three times.
When there is time to sit and think, I list each ingredient below and go from there. Our dinners are also up on a web calendar; this is the link I send to my husband.
Week of March 4, 2012 - Finally, spring is here! I know it, because there is green garlic in the
box, and fennel and celery root. Plus, the peas growing on my deck are flowering, and I finally took the cold frame off the arugala.
Garden:
arugala - we have to eat it fast, because there is a gopher living in my raised bed, and he's eating it too. I can't believe it. Please send advice if you have any.
lemons - so many, we need to make lemonade!
This week's Eatwell Box:
oranges - lunches, snacks, juice, sorbet?
parsley - I'll put it on everything, it's always good for that.
lemons - salad dressing, of course.
lettuce - salad!
apples - snacks, lunches, breakfast
spinach - sauté it up and serve with pasta
stir fry mix - stir fry?
green garlic - must find something special and springy for this...
fennel - I've been waiting for it, to make The Kitchen's <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-couscous-159922"> Couscous with Chickpeas, Fennel and Citrus</a>.
celery root - there is a great wild rice and celeriac chowder I made last year...but I might get lazy and throw it in the crockpot with the lamb.
red cabbage - I never know what to do with these...except grate them over lettuce for salad.
Fridge:
leeks - Used one with the mystery green (cabbage?) I pulled from the garden on Sunday, one with some chard...
turnips - Eatwell individual turnip gratin recipe? Like anyone in my house will eat that....
green cabbage - Stir fry? Soup? With bacon?
lamb - put it in the crockpot
tofu - stir fry? Miso sesame winter squash again, from 101 Cookbooks?
Week of October 23, 2011 - The new book from BiRite, Eat Good Food, is out, so I'm going to cook from it!
Still in the fridge:
2 more eggplants - the book says slice it into 1/2 inch rounds and grill it with a little olive oil, balsamic and salt.
lemons - in the soup and for the arugula salad
This week's Eatwell Box:
collards - boil briefly, then saute in butter with a little pimenton. Serve with Morrocan Lamb Meatloaf from p 191.
cherry tomatoes - salads
2 eggplants - grill them again
bok choi - chicken stir fry, with rice
broccoli - chicken stir fry
radishes
sweet potatoes
avocado - on tuna sandwiches for lunch
apples - snacks and lunches
pears - breakfast and snacks
potatoes - orrechiette with white beans and chard from Eat Good Food, p 60. I'll slice into 1/4 inch squares or small rounds some potatoes, oven roast them and toss them in too.
fennel - chicken soup with fennel, chickpeas, and chard from p 100 of this week's book. This will use up the rest of the chicken from Sunday's stir and stock from its bones. It uses lemon too!
In the garden:
broccoli raab - from the book I used a couple weeks back, the spicy version from The Art of Simple Food.
mini brussels sprouts - planted about a year ago, they could grow bigger but the aphids on top are getting bad, so we'll just eat them small, in stir fry.
tiny cabbage - its an itty bitty crinkly cabbage, about the size of a softball, but really beautiful. I would hate for it to get forgotten, so we'll eat it now.
red lettuce - made a great salad for dinner at my friend's house last week
arugala - I'll cut it fresh and make my favorite salad, with toasted pine nuts, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and shaved parmesan.
chard - chicken soup with fennel, chickpeas and chard, p 100 in this week's book.
Week of October 16, 2011 - The pasta that arrived in my email from Apartment Therapy's The Kitchen looks like just the thing, now that Fall has arrived. With a little help from their collection of recipes for 15 Fall Vegetables I think I can get through the week.
Still in the Fridge:
Lots of Lemons (from our friend's tree) - spaghetti w/ meyer lemon and mascarpone, from The Kitchen.
In the Garden:
Chard - sub in for spinach in spaghetti w/ meyer lemon and mascarpone, from The Kitchen.
Week of October 9, 2011 - Back from a trip to D.C., The Art of Simple Food seems just the book to help to clean out what's still alive in the fridge, plus last Thursday's produce, and maybe a few garden finds if I manage to make it out there.
Still in the fridge:
Potatoes - use some in minestrone, The Art of Simple Food p 71 and for another dinner fry p 308 and serve with roast chicken p 108.
Frozen fresh pasta - serve with zucchini and tomato ragout, The Art of Simple Food p 326. The ragout contains bacon, how could I pass it up?
3 Yellow Tomatoes - use up in minestrone.
3 Green Peppers
Cherry Tomatoes - add to salads, they'll do on the mock cesar and grill on skewers for tacos.
Apples - use whenever, they'll last.
Asian Pears - slice for snacks and breakfast.
Pears - slice for snacks and breakfast.
2 Oranges - juice for breakfast smoothies.
Lots of Lemons (from our friend's tree)
Limes - squeeze on tacos.
Tomatillos - salsa from The Art of Simple Food p 232. Serve with grilled skewers - shrimp, zucchini, cherry tomatoes and soft tacos.
Onions - for minestrone.
Garlic - don't need to think about it, this will just get used up. Store dry with onions.
Zucchini - for minestrone, the ragout and skewers.
Chard - its getting limp, will do well in the minestrone.
Last week's Eatwell Box:
Basil - pesto, some for the minestrone, some to freeze without cheese in the ice cube tray.
2 Eggplants - caponata, again, from The Art of Simple Food p 304, with grilled sardines p 334 or salmon p 330 and saffron rice.
Chard - sauteed w/ parmesan, The Art of Simple Food p 310
Cherry Tomatoes - salads, on grilled skewers for tacos.
Arugula - my favorite salad, with the minestrone.
Romaine - salads, at least two. With my other favorite dressing - Canal House's Mock Cesar .
Fennel - in the minestrone.
5 Roma Tomatoes
Green Peppers - when fresh and good, I love them sliced raw as crudités.
Apples - snacks, lunches, sliced on a plate with breakfast.
Week of September 1, 2011 - This week we're cooking from Canal House Cooking's latest book - An Italian Summer. The women behind Canal House, Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton, are fantastic experts on home cooking. Last week I was lucky enough to meet them at Omnivore Books, it was really a treat! I'm looking forward to their next three books which will focus on Italian cooking.
Cherry Tomatoes - good in salads, sauteed on scrambled eggs and fritattas, polenta and pastas
Shady Lady Tomatoes - sauce for grilled pizza
Heirloom Tomatoes - sliced, with fresh mozerella, basil, olive oil and salt and pepper
Italian Large Leaf Basil - pesto, pesto, pesto! Also good in salads and with tomatoes
Summer Squash - poached in olive oil
German Butterball OR Yellow Finn Potatoes - oven roasted, because its so easy
Red or Green Bell Peppers - slice and sauté with cherry tomatoes and onions for eggs, pasta, whatever
Hot Peppers - freeze to use as needed
Strawberries - good for a snack or in fruit salad with all the peaches we have
Melon - cut into bite sized pieces, good for breakfast, in lunch boxes and for snacks
Peaches - slice and eat, yum yum yum! Also good chopped,
In the Garden:
Strawberries - snacks, as they ripen
Herbs - lots of them, to be picked as needed - parsley, thyme, mint, oregano
Chard - needs to be eaten soon!
Cabbage - seems to be holding for now, this can wait
Celery - just waiting around, no rush...
Week of June 16, 2011 - instead of a cookbook this week I'm pulling recipes from our CSA newsletter, from Eatwell Farm. It's handy when there is a list of things to make with the box contents, in the box.
Strawberries - blended a few in a breakfast smoothie to even out the frozen blueberries and ate the rest with our bagels.
Green Garlic - use in place of regular garlic
Spring Onions - use in place of regular onions. All of this week's recipes use onions. Especially the onion, cheddar and bacon muffins. Yum!
Mixed Lettuce - salads for lunch and with pasta dinners
Salad Turnips - turnip and spinach salad with warm bacon vinaigrette, use the greens for the potato galette
Chives - on omelets for breakfast, on the galette, and anything else that is nice with a little oniony garnish.
Spinach - turnip and spinach salad with warm bacon vinaigrette
Arugula - my favorite salad, I remember finding it in an Eatwell newsletter, and I can honestly say that it changed my life. Until then, I hadn't liked arugula. Now it is my favorite salad. I can't find it in Eatwell's archive, so I'll link back to mine. Serve with roast chicken.
Basil - use in the potato galette, or make into pesto.
Early Potatoes - potato galette, sub in some greens languishing in the fridge for the spinach and arugula
Cherries - snacks and in oatmeal
Peaches - snacks and with lunch and breakfast
Apricots - snacks and with lunch and breakfast
Still in the Fridge :
Sweet Potatoes - actually not in the fridge, but in the cupboard, waiting...to become swiss chard and sweet potato gratin
Salad - maybe washing and chopping it ahead of time will make it disappear faster.
In the Garden:
Sugar Snap Peas - found an interesting sounding recipe for sugar snap pea and barley salad. I'll serve it with steak and see what happens
Strawberries - yard snacks
Lemons - dressings, marinade, etc.
Favas - they can still wait a bit, or maybe with garlic toasts. I had that at Lupa in Noe Valley, and it was so good!
Lettuce - it can stay in the ground for a few more weeks, or be eaten...
Week of June 9, 2011 - this week's cookbook is Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Cooking - all page numbers below are from this book, along with some recipes on her website.
Strawberries - sliced on breakfast cereal!
Green Garlic - use this in place of garlic, for starters in garlic soba noodles, giant crusty white beans p 152.
Oregano - pesto, for summer squash gratin
Spring Onions - use in any recipe calling for onions
Mixed Lettuce - salads, for lunch, with dinner, whatever
Stir-Fry Mix - giant crusty white beans w/ greens, p152.
Salad Turnips - turnip chips?
Red Russian Kale - raw tuscan kale salad with quinoa
Cherries - a quick and easy snack.
Frog Hollow Box: Nothing for us this week, except a giant squash my kids snatched from an unclaimed box. Oh, and a very pretty big yellow cauliflower.
zucchini - Summer Squash Gratin with oregano pesto
cauliflower - spicy cauliflower with sesame seeds, with dal and maybe some rice, to fill up the kids who will probably not eat spicy cauliflower.
Our Garden:
Lemons - salad dressing, and in many recipes
Favas - these will hold for a few more weeks if I can't find a place for them now
Strawberries - snacks, here and there
Mint - great for tea and in recipes
Thyme - as needed, in recipes
Week of June 2, 2011 - this week I'm browsing through March and April of Nigel Slater's The Kitchen Diaries for ideas. Quick, easy, reliable. See my Dinner Menus Calendar for recipes and page numbers.
Strawberries - a snack!
Mint - for tea, broad beans with oriechette and mint, pesto for lamb kebobs if I decide to make it after all
Basil - perfect! pasta with basil and lemon
Mixed Lettuce - salads, and one with a soufflé
French Breakfast Radishes - good with salt on them to start a meal, throw the greens in the stir-fry mix bag
Stir-Fry mix - sauté, serve with meatballs and rice
Cherries - yum! just eat them!
Spring Onions - use in whatever needs onions
Green Garlic - use in place of regular, dried garlic
Red Beets - yum, roast them and serve with cheese, bread and salad for an easy dinner.
Frog Hollow Box:
All cherries!!!
Our Garden:
Lemons
Favas
Strawberries
Mint
Thyme
Week of May 26, 2011 - a quick week, the end of school and a camping trip, so lots of portable stuff for potlucks.
Strawberries - a snack!
Sugar Snap Peas - asian style snap pea salad, for a potluck.
Green Garlic - use in just about everything, instead of regular garlic
Parsley - in chickpeas w/ carmelized onions (also potluck fodder), meatballs, whatever
White Spring Onions - carmelize for chickpeas, use in whatever needs onions
Red Spring Onions - carmelize for chickpeas, use in whatever needs onions
Fava Beans - save for next week with bacon, with pasta, both from Kitchen Diaries
Mixed Lettuce - for salads
Stir-Fry Mix - as a side or main with tofu
Lemon Verbena - tea and pound cake!
Arugula - for my favorite ever arugala salad: toasted arugala, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, shaved parmesan, toasted pine nuts. With a roast chicken.
The Garden:
Lemons
Mint
Strawberries
Week of May 19, 2011:
Strawberries - for a snack when the box arrives
Lemons - for salad dressings, rub on cut apples for take-away snacks and lunches
Sugar Snap Peas - stir fry w/ stir fry greens & tofu
Green Garlic - put it in the stiry fry, the sauteed kale, the fava salad
Parsley - good in tabouleh!
Spring Onions - also for tabouleh, and fava salad, stir frys and sautees
Fava Beans - fava salad, same as a couple weeks ago
Red Russian Kale - sautee it with a little spring onion, garlic, chili flakes, salt and radish greens
Mixed Lettuce - in roast chicken tacos, lunch salads, with grilled cheese sandwiches
Stir-Fry Mix - tofu stir fry
Lemon Verbena - cake? tea?
The Garden -
Onions - tofu stir fry
Strawberries - the tiny alpine kind, for snacks in the yard.
Radishes - with roast chicken tacos, greens are good with sauteed kale or stir fries
Snap Peas, maybe - tofu stir fry
Chard - maybe, if I need it.
Celery - only if I need it. Stalks good for making chicken stock, leaves for spicy chicken soup.
Mint - so, so much of it! Good for tea, and tabbouleh.
Favas - could use them, but they can wait a week and get a little larger.
Week of May 12, 2011
Strawberries - sliced on cereal the next morning.
Lemons - salad dressing, on pastas, whatever needs a little boost
English Peas OR Sugar Snap Peas - I sure hope they're english peas! If so, Canal House Cooking's Favas & Peas salad, Vol 6 p61.
Green Garlic - stir fry, maybe in salad dressing
Carrots - raw, sliced for lunches and snacks
Parsley - tabbouleh maybe? That uses lemon and mint from the garden, and I can pull some leftover lamb out of the freezer to go with it.
Spring Onions - Stir fried rice noodles.
Flowering Chives - Cool! Maybe a bouquet?
Fava Beans - So good fresh, if we get peas then make the Canal House saladThursday night. Otherwise in the rice noodle stir fry.
Red Russian Kale
Mixed Baby Lettuce - With fish on Friday.
The Garden -
Onions - I had to move them to sow flower seeds. More still in the ground.
Strawberries - the tiny alpine kind, for snacks in the yard.
Radishes - maybe I'll use then up midweek?
Snap Peas - good in just about anything, like Thursday's stir fried rice noodles
Chard - maybe, if I need it.
Celery - only if I need it. Stalks good for making chicken stock, leaves for spicy chicken soup.
Mint - so, so much of it! Good for tea, and tabbouleh.
Forgot to resubscribe, so nothing this week. Bought some oranges and grapefruit (for Tuesday's Salad) at Rainbow instead.
Week of May 5, 2011
Navel Oranges - for breakfast, juice to drink and for smoothies
Strawberries - snack when the box arrives
Lemons - salad dressing! Lemon pound cake with lemon glaze!
Sugar Snap Peas - tossed into risotto, to use up last week's leeks
Green Garlic - in the risotto and for the tofu marinade, for last week's stir fry mix
Carrots - lunch, snacks, cooked w/ saffron on Mother's Day
Parsley - risotto garnish
Red Spring Onions - both of the curries, the fava salad
Stir Fry Mix - indian greens w/ turnips and naan
Marjoram - risotto, maybe a bit in salads or with beats and goat cheese for lunch
Radishes oR Tokyo Turnips - indian greens, either way
The Garden:
Radishes - so many, and they're getting so giant we have to eat them fast! So two meals, both from a favorite mediterranean cookbook I don't use often enough - Silvena Rowe's Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume. One is a pilaf with chickpeas, apricots and pistachios (p 108) along with the most beautiful salad ever - pink grapefruit, avocado, nasturtium and borage flowers (p 123), the other Kebobs with Shaved Fennel, Radish and Nasturtium salad (p 158).
Nasturtium & Borage Flowers - the kids love to eat them in the yard, but I don't usually cook with them. But this week there are two beautiful salads to make. See above.
Snap Peas - use them to round out the fava salad on Sunday and in the risotto.
Favas - so good fresh from the garden in spring! In a salad for Mother's Day, as part of a menu from David Tanis' A Platter of Figs.
Avocados - left over from last week, otherwise no box this week.
Week of April 28, 2011
Navel Oranges - for breakfast as juice and in smoothies
Strawberries - a snack as soon as the box arrives
Lemons - salad dressing and for lunches, keeping apples from turning brown
Lemon Balm - this might be good in cookies, the kind you make into a roll, put in the freezer and slice off as needed. Or in a pound cake. Or for tea.
Sugar Snap Peas - I'll try something crazy and pair them with the radishes from our garden as sauteed radishes and snap peas with dill, from Epicurious. The recipe says it goes well with lamb, which we'll have at a BBQ with friends. I hope it isn't awful.
Spinach - Nigel Slater's Indian Inspired Spinach and Potatoes, Tender p. 549
Apples - slice for lunches, wipe with a cut lemon to keep their color
Green Garlic - use in place of regular garlic
Carrots - scrub and slice for lunches, and since we have a huge excess, make soup the color of marigolds from Nigel Slater's Tender - I've been wanting to make that since I first saw it in the book. Serve with some pasta and thmye, cilantro and parsley or whatever herbs are in the yard.
Parsley - on pasta, in salads
Leeks -
Stir Fry Mix - stir fry with tofu
Avocados - guacamole and chips, for when Omi visits
Kiwis - for breakfast and snacks, slice in half, scoop out with a spoon
Strawberries - a snack, as soon as the box arrives or breakfast the next morning
Apples - in lunches, for snacks, or sauce and freeze
Oranges - for breakfast, as juice and smoothies
Tangerines - for breakfast, as juice and smoothies
Week of April 21, 2011
Navel Oranges - for breakfast, as juice or smoothies.
Strawberries - a snack as soon as the box arrives
lemons - salad dressing and for lunches, keeping apples from turning brown
Thyme - I'll try to remember to put this on pasta and in whatever I cook, unless it seems weird
Sugar Snap Peas - 101 Cookbook's spring pasta, along with avocados
Spinach - creamed spinach from the new Canal House Cooking, serve with some meat, maybe pork chops or schnitzel
Lettuce - salad with salmon crakes from epicurious
Chard - saute it with olive oil, salt and red pepper and it eat for lunch with leftover pasta
Spring Onions - anything that needs onions, like spring pasta or lamb kebobs or salad dressing
Apples - slice for lunches, wipe with a cut lemon to keep their color
Green Garlic - salad dressing, pasta, anything sauteed or needing garlic
Carrots - scrub and slice for lunches
Avocados - for breakfast on toast, spring pasta, salads
Kiwis - for breakfast and snacks, slice in half, scoop out with a spoon
Strawberries - a snack, as soon as the box arrives or breakfast the next morning
Apples - in lunches, for snacks, or sauce and freeze
Oranges - for breakfast, as juice and smoothies
Tangerines - for breakfast, as juice and smoothies
Apricot Conserve - on toast and scones, for snacks and breakfast
