Mindful Plate

Posted by Lisa

Summer produce is in abundant supply now, with the exception of tomatoes which aren’t fully around yet.  Our CSA share included:  yellow romano beans, tomatoes (a small few), lettuce, fennel bulb, Caribe potatoes, beets, carrots, summer squash and sweet onions.  At the farmers market I picked up green onions, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes and bell peppers.

• Potstickers; Steamed Rice; Sesame Cucumber and Tomato Salad (green onions, bell pepper, cucumber, tomatoes)
• BAT Sandwiches (Bacon, Avocado , Tomato); Corn Fritters (tomato, corn, bell peppers, green onions)
• Mackerel Cakes; Latin Cabbage and Corn Salad; Russian Potato and Beet Salad (sweet onion, cabbage, corn, potatoes, beets, green onions)
• Baked Rigatoni with Italian Sausage and Fennel (substituting ground goat and spices for the sausage); Green Salad (fennel, lettuce, sweet onions, carrots)
• Egg Rolls; Marinated Beet Salad (cabbage, carrots, sweet onions, beets)
• Goulash; Roasted Romano Beans; Roasted Beets (carrots, romano beans, beets)

Posted by Lisa

It seems that every week there is a greater abundance of summer vegetables when I visit the farmers market.  I picked up mostly the same things I got last week:  summer squash, corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, sweet onions, and cucumbers, but I also got new potatoes, cherry tomatoes, broccoli and green beans.  Our CSA share is chock-full of goodness too:  tomatoes, basil, cabbage, chard, lettuce, white salad turnips, carrots, summer squash, and sweet onion.

• BLTAs; Oregano Potato Salad (tomatoes, lettuce, potatoes, oregano) [the "A" is for avocado]
• Beluga Lentils with Rice, Corn, and Cherry Tomatoes; Easy Vinaigrette Coleslaw (corn, cherry tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, bell pepper)
• Spring Rolls with Shrimp and Summer Vegetables; Sesame Cucumber and Tomato Salad; Cantaloupe (basil, mint, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers)
• Shrimp Pasta Salad; Pan-Fried Turnips (bell pepper, basil, summer squash, tomatoes, turnips) [I used the linked recipe as a base and added some roasted summer squash, crumbled feta and chopped tomatoes]
• Chickpeas and Cabbage; Sautéed Zucchini and Corn (cabbage, onions, carrots, zucchini, corn)
• Roast Beef; Green Beans; Mashed Potatoes (green beans)
• Beef, Chard, Broccoli and Cabbage Stir-fry; Steamed Rice (onions, chard, broccoli, cabbage)

Posted by Lisa

We’ve been picking up produce at our local farmers market in addition to our weekly CSA share.  This week I bought corn, purple cabbage, green onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, extra carrots and bell peppers.  Our CSA share included:  cauliflower, fava beans, lettuce, caribe potatoes, salad turnips, carrots, beets and sweet onion.  Friends also gave us some lovely summer squash.  This is a wonderful season when we are inundated with an array of delicious local vegetables.

• Beef Kabobs; Warm Corn Salad; Creamy Dilled Potatoes (corn, bell peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet onions)
• Lebanese Lentil and Beet Green Soup; Pan Fried Turnips (beet greens, turnips)
• Summer Squash, Fava Bean and Feta Pasta; Green Salad (summer squash, fava beans, oregano, lettuce, carrots)
• Falafel with Feta and Garlicky Yogurt Sauce; Garlic Naan; Spicy Carrot Salad (carrots, mint)
• Beet and Chicken Salad; Pan Fried Turnips; Bulgur (or Cous cous) and Cucumber Salad (beets, sweet onion, turnips, cucumbers)
• Potato, Walla Walla Onion and Gruyere Galette; Oven Baked Carrot Sticks; Roasted Cauliflower (carrots, cauliflower)
• Pork Carnitas Tacos; Mexican Rice; Easy Vinaigrette Coleslaw (purple cabbage, carrots, bell pepper)

Posted by Lisa

After forgetting to pick up our CSA share for two weeks in a row, I finally got my act together and put a reminder on my cell phone.  Our share included:  onion, carrots, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, fava beans and fennel.

For various reasons, I have an abbreviated meal plan this week.

• Pork Carnitas Tacos Topped with Purple Coleslaw; Cumin Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower (cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, broccoli, cauliflower)
• Kofta; Fennel Salad; Spring Succotash (without ham) (fennel, corn, fava beans, mint, carrots, green onions)
• Potatoes, Kale and Black Beans; Sautéed Turnips (kale, turnips)
• Fava Bean Basil Pesto; Crusty Bread; Crispy Kale; Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower (fava beans, basil, kale, broccoli, cauliflower)

Posted by Lisa

Summer seems to be in full swing around here and with the 4th of July making Monday a holiday, I was thrown off all day on Tuesday and because of that, I completely forgot to pick up our CSA share.  It’s a terrible feeling to remember late on a Tuesday that I missed CSA pick-up.  I’ve only done that one other time in the years that we’ve been getting a share.  Luckily and unexpectedly, another set of friends gave us an IKEA bag that was nearly full of vegetables from their CSA when I happened to be at their place on harvest day.  (We are so blessed to have wonderful friends!)  They sent us home with enough salad turnips for 3-4 side dishes, 1 bunch of beets, 1/2 of a large cabbage, a small fennel, 2 shallots, 1 spring onion, fresh herbs (parsley and tarragon), one bunch of young parsnips, a bag of snow peas and snap peas (I think) and one large kohlrabi!  I supplemented this with some things I picked up at our local public market (formerly Saturday market, but it’s all weekend now):  one small purple cabbage, a bag of salad mix, celery, 1 cucumber and a bunch of radishes.  We had a few leftovers rolling around in the fridge from the previous week’s CSA share, so I feel awash in vegetables–in a good way, of course!

With all these vegetables and a full freezer, not only including beef and goat, but four of the six roosters we had processed a couple of weeks ago*, this week’s meal plan has lots of variety.

• Meatloaf; Oregano Potato Salad; Pea and Radish Salad (celery, bell pepper, carrots, oregano, spring onion, radishes, mint and chives)
• Slow Cooked Beef Heart Burritos; Turnip Slaw (spring onions, turnips) [I use Ren's ingredients for the beef heart burritos, but I alter the cooking method since I don't have a great way to grill]
• Pizza with Spring Onions, Green Garlic, Garlic Scapes, Mushrooms and Beet Greens; Green Salad with Beets, Cucumber, Fennel and Carrots (spring onions, green garlic, garlic scapes, mushrooms, beet greens, salad mix, beets, cucumber, fennel, carrots)
• Stir-fry with Chicken and Vegetables; Sautéed Turnips (broccoli, celery, peas, purple cabbage, spring onion, carrots, turnips)
• Thai Chicken Slaw; Chinese Kohlrabi Salad (shallots, cabbage, carrots, mint, kohlrabi)
• Goat Stew; Sautéed Parsnips (turnips, carrots, peas, parsnips) [I'll be using Kim's recipe and swapping goat for the lamb]

Also, this week we will be participating in an summer camp, so I need to pack lunches for the three girls and myself for four days in a row!  Two things I’m planning on making after cooking up a big pot of chickpeas are:  Smashed Chickpea Sandwiches and Chickpea, Feta and Cilantro Salad.

*You can read about our experience with getting these roosters processed here on my personal blog; don’t worry, it’s not graphic.