Local Box Meal Plan: Dec. 7-11

Now that I’m back, I can’t wait to start getting Greenling boxes again! I’ve supplemented with veggies from the Pearl Farmer’s Market, but there’s something to be said for local produce on your doorstep.

What I like about local, seasonal produce is how it seems like what you’re “supposed” to eat is what’s available. The first night of Hanukkah is on Friday, and this week we’re getting potatoes and onions (the key ingredients in latkes) and apples (for applesauce). Maybe it’s a coincidence, but I’d like to think otherwise.

This week, we’re getting red potatoes and yellow onions from Naegelin, sweet Italian peppers from Lundgren, apples from Top of Texas, beets and icicle radish from My Father’s Farm, cucumbers from Home Sweet Farm, Bibb lettuce from Bella Verdi, Louisiana scallions from Acadian Family Farm, rainbow baby carrots from Animal Farm, and Hachiya persimmons from Indian Hill.

For Hanukkah dinner on Friday, I’m making:

• Brisket with baby carrots
• Latkes with red potatoes and yellow onions (I’ve been sworn to secrecy so I can’t share my family’s recipe, but I’m sure googling will produce lots of recipes for you to try!)
• Applesauce
• Bibb lettuce salad with cucumbers, scallions and radishes

For the rest of the week, I’m making:

• Arugula salad with roasted beets and goat cheese
• Stuffed pepper casserole
• Persimmon bread (if the persimmons aren’t ripe enough, I’ll store them in a paper bag on the counter for a few days. They need to be quite ripe for baking.)

If anyone saw Top Chef last week, Kevin made what looked like a very cool puree from the carrot tops, so I’m going to try my hand at something like that under a panseared fish. Don’t want to waste good produce!

Local Box Meal Plan: Nov. 16-20

Happy Thanksgiving! I realize that I’m a week early, but we’re having some friends over for an early Thanksgiving on Sunday. Because it’s not the actual Thanksgiving day, I’m taking some liberties and veering from my family’s traditional Turkey Day menu (and let’s face it, who wants to have the same meal twice in one week?).

This week, we’re getting sweet potatoes, red onion, and collards or mustard greens from Naegelin, Eureka persimmons from Indian Hill (Texas A&M has a good breakdown of persimmon varieties grown in Texas here), Cameo apples from Top of Texas, pie pumpkin, green beans from Animal Farm, hot and sweet peppers from Green Gate Farm, escarole and Louisiana shallot-scallions from Acadian Family Farm, Bibb lettuce from Bella Verdi and herb from Pure Luck.

So I’m making:

Appetizer:

• Persimmon-cranberry chutney with water crackers and brie

Main course:

• Herb-roasted turkey
• Chestnut-apple stuffing (made with a red onion) served inside a roasted pumpkin – this only works if we get a pumpkin, not fennel. Here’s hoping for a pumpkin for the super cool presentatation!
• Roasted sweet potatoes tossed with herbs
• Roasted green beans
• Sauteed greens with garlic
• Louisiana shallot-scallion dinner rolls (based on this sweet dinner rolls recipe)

And because we still have to eat dinner on Saturday:

• Italian wedding soup with escarole
• Green salad with balsamic vinaigrette

I’m also retrying hot pepper jelly with this recipe, since it didn’t work so well last time.

Are you changing up some of your Thanksgiving staples this year, or keeping it traditional?

Local Box Meal Plan: Oct. 26-30

The last okra of the year? Say it isn’t so! And I haven’t even made a stew in the slow-cooker yet. Now that it’s getting cooler, I think it’s about time.

This week, we’re getting bell peppers from My Father’s Farm or Walnut Creek, yellow/red onions and red potatoes from Naegelin, yellow/dragon tongue beans from Animal Farm, gala apples from Top of Texas, turnips, dill and red radishes from My Father’s Farm, Bibb lettuce from Bella Verdi, crimini mushrooms from Kitchen Pride, and okra from Walnut Creek.

So I’m making:

Lunch:

• Chicken salad with apples on Bibb lettuce

Dinners:

• Cheesesteaks with sauteed mushrooms, onions and peppers
• Slow-cooker beef stew with okra and tomatoes

Side Dishes:

• Turnip and radish greens with sauteed garlic
• Apple-turnip compote
• Mashed potatoes with buttermilk and dill
• Yellow beans with dill and quickly pickled onions

Local Box Meal Plan: Oct. 12-16

Finally, some squash! I’m so excited. Even though it doesn’t feel like fall yet, I can tell cooler weather is coming.

This week, we’re getting sweet grape tomatoes from Pedernales Valley; red onion, butternut squash, and globe eggplant from Naegelin; microgreens and Bibb lettuce from Bella Verdi; either persimmon or pears; okra from either Bradshaw Creek Farm or Walnut Creek Farm; dragon tongue beans; and apples.

So I’m making:

Sides:

• Butternut squash salad with microgreens and bibb lettuce
• Okra and tomato casserole with onions
• Dragon tongue and green bean salad with sweet grape tomatoes

Dessert:

• Fried wontons with caramel-apple filling and chocolate-persimmon/pear filling

Dinner:

• Eggplant rollatini

I found that dragon tongue beans taste much like wax beans, so I’m excited to use them in a twist on bean salad.

Local Box Meal Plan: Oct. 3-7

Fall is finally here — apples have started to make an appearance in our Local Boxes. I’m so excited.

This week, we’re getting Gala apples; pears from Lightsey Farms; persimmon; Bibb lettuce from Bella Verdi; cucumbers, Thai eggplant and dragon tongue beans from Animal Farm, yellow onions, red potatoes and either patty pan squash or zucchini from Naegelin; basil from Montesino, grape tomatoes, peppers from Tecalote, and radish.

So I’m making:

Lunch:

• Chicken salad with apples and pecans
• Bibb lettuce salad with cucumber, tomatoes and radish

Appetizer:

• Balsamic-glazed pear and goat cheese crostini

Side Dishes:

• Steamed dragon tongue beans tossed with sauteed garlic and basil
• Herb-roasted potatoes

Dinners:

• Roasted patty pan squash and eggplant with herbed chick peas
• Ale-braised sausage with peppers and onions (for our Oktoberfest party!)

Dessert:

• Persimmon ice cream

I’ve been hearing folks say they’re not sure how else to use persimmons. You can use them in salads, in baking, or as a topping for a savory meat dish. Do you have any persimmon recipes you love?

Steak Salad with Blue Cheese and Shallots

[Printable Recipe]

It’s the middle of September, and I’m craving things like squash, sweaters and changing leaves. Unfortunately for me, it’s still unbearably hot out — way too hot for a hot meal. Salads are one of our go-to meals during the summer, and luckily for us, last week’s Greenling box was stocked with veggies perfect for salad.

Loaded with veggies, a light vinaigrette and a hearty blue cheese rounds out a perfect steak salad.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
For the steak:

• 1 lb. flank steak
• 3 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• Few grinds of pepper

Lettuce and other salad veggies (we got some beautiful green bell peppers and radishes in our box, along with a big head of Bibb lettuce). Thinly sliced shallots are great with the steak, as are blue cheese crumbles.

For the vinaigrette:

• 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. dijon mustard (I like the whole-grain mustard)
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Few grinds of pepper

Directions:

• Whisk together the soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, ground ginger and pepper in a bowl. Add the flank steak, trimmed of excess fat, and marinate for 15-30 minutes.
• While the steak is marinating, prepare the salad.
• Whisk the ingredients for the vinaigrette together and set aside.
• Grill the steak over high heat for ~4 minutes per side (for medium-rare steak), then let rest for 3 minutes.
• Toss the salad in the vinaigrette, then slice the steak against the grain and serve.

I made the first cut, then realized that I was cutting it the wrong way (with the grain). Oh well. I’m a do-do.

Verdict:
Nice, light meal for the dog days of summer. Flank steak is perfect for salads because you don’t need to gnaw at it to chew it, even when it’s rare like mine is (okay, mine is really rare. Don’t hate.). This marinade has strong flavors that stand up well to the other strong flavors in the salad, like the radishes, shallots, dijon, and blue cheese.

Local Box Meal Plan: Sept. 14-18

I’m back! I’ve got loads to share about my trip, but in the meantime, I’ll tide you over with my plan for our Greenling Local Box this week.

This week, we’re getting pickling cucumbers, yellow squash and yellow onion from Naegelin, green Meyer lemons from G&S Groves, green peppers, portabello caps from Kitchen Pride, sweet corn, okra from Bradshaw Farm, herb/basil from Pure Luck, Bibb lettuce from Bella Verdi, tomatoes from McCall Creek Farm, and Texas pears from Lightsey.

I’m making:

Breakfast:

• Omelette with sauteed green peppers and portabellos

Side dishes:

• Grilled sweet corn with herb compound butter

Dinner:

• Creole okra with yellow onion and yellow squash (recipe to come in the Greenling box)
• Grilled sirloin and blue cheese Bibb lettuce salad with cucumbers
• Cold sesame noodle chicken salad with cucumbers

Dessert:

• Meyer lemon granitas with a candied Meyer lemon peel garnish
• Pear and almond tart

Meyer lemons are sweeter than normal lemons, so they’re great to use in desserts. How are you using yours?

Local-Box Lookout, week of 01.05.2009

Here’s the preliminary list for this week’s Local Boxes:

• bibb lettuce
• green onion
• radish
  
• cherry tomatoes
  
• cilantro
  
• Meyer lemons
  
• grapefruit
  
• tangerines
• curly kale
• bag baby lettuce

Local-Box Lookout, week of 12.29.2008

Here’s what to look for in this week’s Local Box:

• shallots
• bibb lettuce
• Oriental turnips
• daikon radish
• carrots
• spinach
• tangerines
• crimini mushrooms
• tomato
• collards
• apples

Check below for this week’s delivery schedule update if your delivery day is Thursday!

Report from Fearless Forager, week of 10.27.2008

Here’s what’s coming in this week’s Local Boxes:

• marigold bouquet
• butternut squash
• apples
• green beans
• bibb lettuce or arugula/baby lettuce bouquets
• eggplant
• assorted herbs
• Meyer lemons
• Key limes
• zucchini
• yellow granix onions
• red burgundy onions
• cherry tomatoes