Pine Mouth Update: Almost a week now since the pine mouth struck, and I still have a slight bitter taste at the end of a meal. Fortunately, the food itself tastes fine as I'm eating it, so I should be able to enjoy the raspberries and cheese I've been promised in this week's CSA delivery.
Here is what I am expecting:
-1 bulb onion, candy variety
-1 head garlic
-1 lb green beans OR snap peas
-1 bunch of cilantro
-2 zucchini
-2 squash
-2 lbs sweet cherries
-1 pint black raspberries
-2 bags slicing tomatoes
-1 lb garlic chive linguine
-1 cucumber
-1 bunch mustard greens
-1 6-8 oz piece Mayfield Siberian Night beer cheese
-1 lb of pork sausage
I'm actually kind of relieved not to be getting as much meat in this delivery. While I have really enjoyed the sausages and ground beef, I'm kind of looking forward to choosing some fish and chicken at market this week. Overall, the items are pretty basic so there is a lot more leeway in my meal planning. The only unfamiliar items to some may be the candy onion and maybe the mustard greens. A candy onion is simply a variety of sweet onion, and mustard greens can be used in the same manner as spinach, kale, and the like. My meal plan for the week:
Friday: Clear out the fridge day! This is when we eat all the leftovers from the past week's meals and use up all the produce that is going bad.
Saturday: Afternoon family potluck at the park. Everyone brings their own meat and a side to share. I am making cornbread and potato salad. Paul & I will likely enjoy the cheese as an evening snack after the kids go to bed.
Sunday: Grilled Salmon, green beans, tomato & cucumber salad, leftover cornbread
Monday: Grilled Shrimp Pizza, sliced tomatoes
Tuesday: Smoked Whole Chicken, sauteed mustard greens.
Wednesday: Garlicky cherry tomato linguine
Thursday: Sausage & peppers calzones OR breakfast for dinner
The pasta and calzone dishes are ones that I will be making up as I go. As usual, I will share the recipes if they're successful (Side Note: the chicken and beet lettuce wraps from this past week were not so successful. A bit plain for my taste. I'll have to work on ramping up the flavor before sharing. However, I did enjoy the Kale Caesar Slaw recipe from Bon Appetit that I served with it.). The cherries may be baked into cherry hand-pies, or they'll be thrown into morning oatmeal and eaten as snacks. I'll be lucky if the raspberries survive one day in this house. They happen to be Steven's absolute favorite, so I'm sure I'll be fighting him for them. Other ideas for raspberries would be making them into a cobbler or individual crumbles (terrific combined with other berries or peaches), serving them over pancakes or angel food cake, or smash them into plain yogurt with a drizzle of honey.
I'm often asked about how I make a meal plan. It takes a little getting used to, but it makes mealtime a whole lot easier (and prevents the "there's nothing to eat" dilemma). I started meal planning a couple of year's ago to help me stick to a grocery budget and to take control of my family's health. When you meal plan you can actually plan variety into your family's diet. We almost never eat the same meal twice in a month! To start, decide how far in advance you want to plan. Prior to beginning the CSA, my plan coincided with pay day, so I planned for the 1st through the 15th, and then the16th through the end of the month. On pay day I would do my major shopping, buying all my shelf stable and freezer items, then I shopped weekly for produce. Now it makes more sense for me to plan weekly. Do what makes the most sense for you. Every week I sit down with my planner, some cookbooks, and some recipes I have torn from magazines. First I look at what nights we may have plans or nights when my husband or I may not be home for dinner. For instance, every Thursday in the summer my husband has golf. I know not to plan an elaborate meal for that evening; it is usually something easy or something fun for the kids and I, like breakfast for dinner or individual pizzas. I also look at the days that we might have something that would cause us to be gone most of the afternoon and plan a slow-cooker meal or something with little prep work for that day. I always try to plan for at least one fish and two vegetarian meals each week as well. I always make sure that the meals can be moved around as needed, such as when you notice your greens are beginning to wilt and you need to use them immediately, but your squash could hold another day or two. My meal plans can get pretty elaborate, but they can be as simple as you need them to be. Sometimes, when I am making a meal that could be frozen, I double it and put half in the freezer for those days when I decide I just don't feel like cooking. When I'm finished, I post the plan on the refrigerator so I remember to pull items from the freezer to thaw the night before if needed, or so I know I need to swing by the store to pick up salmon that afternoon. For more meal planning (and home organization) ideas, check out my friend's blog, http://jennshomework.blogspot.com/.
Finally, I thought I'd share simple, easy recipes for Southern Style Green Beans and Tomato & Cucumber Salad. Steven loves to help snap the ends off the green beans. These are summertime staples at our house.
Southern Style Green Beans
*The beans cook down quite a bit in this recipe, so buy more than you think you need. My small family can easily eat 1-2 lbs of beans! Adjust the amounts of the other ingredients as necessary. I have made these for a crowd before as they hold very well in a crock pot. They taste better the longer they cook.
-Fresh Green Beans, ends snapped off
-1 medium yellow onion, diced
-1-2 pieces of bacon (or 1-2 tablespoons canola oil)
-salt & pepper
In a large pot, cook bacon over medium heat until the fat begins to render. Add onion and saute until golden. (You can omit bacon and just use canola or olive oil in this step.) Add green beans and about 1-2 cups water, depending on the size of the pot, and bring to a boil. Season with salt & pepper. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for at least an hour until cooked down and soft, checking occasionally to make sure the water hasn't evaporated (you can add more water if needed). Double check for seasonings and serve.
Tomato & Cucumber Salad
In a large bowl, combine sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, and sliced onion (the candy onion would work well here). Drizzle with olive oil and splash with vinegar to taste (white, red wine, cider, really any kind you have on hand, but I like the stronger flavor of white in this dish). Add fresh herbs from the garden if desired. I am currently using basil and thyme since I have an abundance right now! Season with salt and pepper and toss it all together. Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the rest of the meal, allowing the juices from the tomatoes to mix with other ingredients. Can also be served cold if desired.
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