As far as I am concerned, opening the CSA box on Saturday morning is like a weekly version of Christmas morning. I love the surprises that await me inside and the planning of the weekly menu that follows - all dishes built around seasonal fruit and vegetables. I am not the only family member who feels this way: both cats come and check everything out as I unpack the box and even my jaded teen asks that I wait until he gets up to crack open the top so we can take inventory together. Or maybe he worries that if he is not there to keep my unbridled enthusiasm in check, I will head back down the path of vegetarianism. I certainly have been eating a lot less meat in his absence. Just look at the adorable golf ball sized Thumbelina carrots above; how could you not get excited about cooking with those?
As well as cutie carrots, this week we ended up with: a large bag of hot peppers in assorted shapes, sizes and shades of green, four plump green zucchini, a pound of gorgeously fresh red kale, four large white onions, six tiny apricots only slightly larger than a walnut, four nearly ripe yellow peaches, twelve fist-sized new red potatoes, several generous handfuls of flat, yellow Romano beans (a new ingredient), two deep purple plums with a beautiful deeper purple bloom on the peel, a bunch of fragrant mint and - admittedly to my surprise - a large head of crinkly Savoy cabbage, a vegetable that I apparently erroneously see more as a fall and winter ingredient than a summer crop.
This week's menu is slighly schizophrenic, with a very clear demarcation between my diet meals and those introduced to celebrate the return of the prodigal son. Since L.’s response to seeing what I have been eating in his absence was a resounding “hell to the no, that won't do”, it is going to be interesting to eat in a manner that will balance the needs of my diet with his foodie desires – stay tuned for our documented attempts at a happy medium in the weeks to come...
Sunday [“Raid” Meal]
Monday [Wildcard]
Glazed Thumbelina Carrots with Peach Relish
Bulghur Wheat with Carrot Greens
Tuesday [Pasta but ovo-lacto vegetarian dinner party for 10 instead]
Watermelon Salad - Habanero Pickled Red Onion, Baby Arugula, Radishes and Lime Salt
Summer Vegetable Stuffed Stone Ground Corn Tortillas with Tomato-Tamarind Chutney
Peach Melba Pavlova
Wednesday [Often L.'s choice]
Double Savoy:
Grilled Cabbage Wedge with Mustard Vinaigrette and Homemade Chow Chow with Whipped Tofu
Thursday [Fish but L. back – woohoo!]
Mixed Salad
Cheese and Charcuterie Platter as per the darling boy's request
Friday [Vegetarian]
Out
Saturday ["Picnic" Dinner]
Tomato Salad with Anchovy Dressing
Grilled Sriracha Shrimp
Warm New Red Potato Salad with Bacon and Brown Butter Dressing
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