Weeks 11 & 12: Bag Contents & (Non) Meal Plan

I realize I missed last week's post.  I didn't forget; it wasn't that I couldn't find the time. Quite honestly, I just never took the time to sit down and make a meal plan for the week.  I thought about it, and I looked at recipes in my magazines and cookbooks.  I browsed through pinterest every morning while I drank my coffee.  But when I actually tried to compose a daily plan of what to serve for dinner, I drew a blank.  This is not to say that we ordered take-out everyday and let our food go to waste (although we did make a last minute decision to visit Barroco Grill one night - an excellent decision); instead, I took stock of the basics I keep in the pantry and refrigerator - things like grains, beans,  stock, cheese, etc - and designed easy meals using those items with my CSA delivery. 

Week 11 bag contents:

-3 lbs red potatoes

-6 ears sweet corn

-2 leeks

-1 bulb fennel

-1.5 lbs heirloom tomatoes
-2 oz basil
-2 lbs slicing tomatoes
-1 lb grassfed ground beef
-2 lbs peaches
-1 eggplant

Large bag additions:

-2 yellow squash

-bag of small red onions
-3 "Italian frier" peppers
-1 canteloupe
-1/2 lb swiss chard
-1 bulb garlic
-1 piece havarti cheese

So what did I serve my family for dinner?  Using just my basics and CSA items, we ate a potato, corn, and leek chowder; a crock pot meal of sausage, fennel, potatoes, and cabbage; a cheesy quinoa casserole loaded with squash and eggplant; panini sandwiches with tomato, mozzarella, and basil; and crockpot refried beans served with sauteed onion, pepper, and chard in tortillas.  If you're a non-meal planner, there are tons of meals you can make based off items you may regularly keep in the house and take little effort.  Here are some of my go-to ideas:

-Make a batch of roasted/sauted/grilled/stir-fried vegetables.  Toss them with pasta, serve over rice, or fold into a quesadilla

-Soup. Combine chopped vegetables, herbs, and boxed or homemade stock; add in some meat or beans if you like.  Make it even easier by dumping all the ingredients it in the crockpot first thing in the morning.

-Breakfast for dinner.  Vegetable hash topped with a fried egg, pancakes with fruit, etc. 

-Sandwiches.  Press veggies and cheese between slices of thick bread for an easy panini sandwich.  Get creative - almost anything can be made into a sandwich, including leftovers!

-Beans.  Using a basic crockpot bean recipe, add whatever veggies and meat you have on hand and let it simmer away all day.  Eat like a stew, or serve with tortillas or rice.

I'm trying to get myself a bit more organized this week and at least attempting to make a rough meal plan. I'll try to get it posted with more recipe ideas sometime tomorrow.  In the meantime,  here are the items I've got to work with this week:

Week 12 bag contents:
-1 bag of oats
-1 bunch red russian kale
-2 ct pattypan squash
-1 lb wax beans
-1 bunch French Breakfast radishes
-1 cantaloupe
-2 Candy onions
-2 green peppers
-1 pint cherry tomatoes
-1 package (1.25 lbs) green onion bratwursts, made from Berkshire pork
 
Large bag additions:
-1 piece grassfed swiss cheese from Heritage Grass Farms (12 oz)
-2.5 lbs San Marzano roma tomatoes
-1 bunch carrots with tops
-2 cucumbers




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