I must admit that I am a little disappointed in myself this past week. Although I accomplished my goal of zero waste, I don't feel as though I really did anything "wow" with my ingredients (those quotation marks are for you, Anna). A brief recap of how I used my contents:
-1 lb of ground beef, tomato, corn chips, cilantro, and lettuce were used for taco salad
-radishes were glazed and zucchini roasted and served with chicken
-spinach wilted and served with steamed potatoes and a fried egg
-strawberries sliced and served with breakfast or as snacks
-milk drank by my preschooler
-1 lb of ground beef sent to the freezer
Today begins a new CSA week, and here is what I am expecting to pick up today:
-1 package of chicken bratwursts
-1 bunch of garlic scapes
-1.5 lbs tomatoes
-1 quart of strawberries
-1 bunch green onions
-2 bunches spinach
-2 heads leaf lettuce
-2 zucchini or squash
-1 tub of fresh goat cheese or 1 wedge of Brie
-1 bunch of red beets
-1 package Luna Burgers (veggie burger)
-1 lb spinach linguini
As I have mentioned before, I am currently following a dairy-free diet due to my infant son's sensitivity to dairy protein. No way am I going to be able to pass on trying this cheese! I am slowly trying to reintroduce dairy, so this will just have to be my test run. I love the tangy taste of goat cheese on salads, in quiches and frittatas, and on pasta. And the Brie I would simply slice and enjoy with some crusty bread and a glass of wine on the patio after the kids go to bed.
Until a few years ago, I had never even tried a beet, but my husband loves them. The first time I made them I roasted them in the oven and tossed them in a salad with goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. I was instantly in love. Now I make beets all the time. One of our favorite meals is a Beet, Cheddar, and Apple Tart from Martha Stewart. A mini version of these would be a great party appetizer. And if you like shortbread cookies, I recommend trying Beet Cookies (Yes, cookies. Stop gagging, they are strangely addicting). I have quite a few beet and tomato salad recipes that I want to try, so that's what I plan to do this week. Some of the farmer's markets have cherry tomatoes coming in already, so I am thinking a simple cherry tomato pasta dish with the spinach linguini. Maybe I'll slice the chicken brats and toss them into the pasta as well, or possibly use them in a white bean and sausage soup of some kind with the spinach. After the grilling disaster with my garlic scapes, I'm going give it another go and serve them with Luna Burgers topped with avocado, tomato, lettuce and onion. The zucchini or squash can be used interchangeably, so I am thinking a zucchini/squash pancake, or maybe a grilled pizza? I also plan to finalize the strawberry muffin recipe this week so I can pass it on to you.
My son Jack just turned six months this week, and I am having fun introducing him to new foods. He's already tried sweet potato, butternut squash, peas, banana, apple, apricot, peaches, and watermelon, to name a few. I even finely pureed a Roasted Eggplant Spread that I made for a PTA meeting and tried it out on him. Sometimes he doesn't take to new foods immediately, but I keep trying and after a few days he usually likes it. This week I plan to steam and puree some of the spinach, zucchini and beets for him to try. As you can probably tell, I'm not one who believes in kid food. My three-year-old has been eating what I eat since the beginning, and I never make him a separate meal. He loves things like black beans, salmon, and brussel sprouts, and eats risotto, guacamole, and even sushi with a smile on his face. Of course he also like hotdogs and chicken nuggets, but those are the exception and not the rule at our house. I can only hope Jack is as adventurous an eater as his brother! My best advice to those already dealing with picky eaters is to just keep serving the food over and over, and eventually they may give in and try it. One day Steven loves broccoli, the next he won't touch it. Kids are funny that way. I just continue to serve him the same meal the rest of the family eats and try not to make a big deal if he doesn't eat something. I am also careful to never say I dislike a new food in front of him, and I act as though it's a privilege to try new foods. As I mentioned in a previous post, I used to hate sweet potatoes, but I made sure he never knew it. And start cooking with your kids! I really believe kids are more likely to eat something if they had a hand in making it.
I know I promised to share some of my food philosophies, and I do plan on doing so this week. I also hope to share some newly created recipes, that is if I ever get back my kitchen! My new countertops are supposedly being installed today, but as of 2:19 pm, there's not a worker in sight. I've pretty much resigned myself to the idea that we will be eating out tonight, but with a fridge full of fresh veggies, I refuse to do so all weekend. Should make for an interesting weekend of cooking if they don't show up soon. Hmmm...I wonder if I could dig up my old college hotpot...
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