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: Sept. 28-Oct. 2

This week, we’re getting okra from Bradshaw Farms, summer squash, onions and red potatoes from Naegelin, bell peppers from My Father’s Farm, elephant garlic, portabello mushrooms from Kitchen Pride, tomatoes from McCall Creek Farm, herb from Pure Luck, pears from Lightsey, lettuce from Bluebonnet Hydroponics and green Meyer lemons from G&S Groves.

So I’m making:

Side Dishes:

• Grilled Portobello and tomato tart with herbs
• Summer squash and potato gratin

Condiments (no idea what else I would call this?):

• Pickled okra — I had the best pickled okra at the Pearl Farmer’s Market this weekend and I was inspired to make my own.

Desserts:

• Pear-ginger sorbet
• Lemon chiffon cake

I’ll use the lettuce and bell peppers to put on my wraps for lunch, and the garlic and onion while making dinner.

Steamed Okra with Green Onions and Lime

[Printable Recipe]

I’ve tried okra a few ways now. My least enjoyable was boiling it, then dipping it in a soy-based sauce. Blech. Slime central. I saw this recipe for steaming it and was intrigued — perhaps a gentler form of cooking would cut down on the slime?

It definitely did!

The original recipe calls for matchsticks of fresh ginger root to be tossed with the green onions and the okra at the end of cooking. I don’t care for the texture of ginger matchsticks without cooking it, so I just grated the ginger over the okra and green onions.

From Gourmet

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. whole okra
• 1 tsp. canola oil
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2″ piece of fresh ginger root, grated
• Salt, to taste

Directions:

• Heat about 2″ of water in a pot until boiling. Place a steamer basket in the bot, then put the okra in the steamer basket and cover the pot. Steam the okra for 7 minutes.
• While the okra is cooking, heat the oil in a skillet. When hot, add the green onions and saute for 2 minutes.
• When the okra is finished steaming, set aside in a bowl. Toss with the sauteed green onions, grated ginger and lime juice. Add salt to taste and serve immediately.

Verdict:
I really loved the zing from the fresh lime juice and the spiciness of the ginger. The slime factor was definitely cut down, but there was still a bit there. Oddly enough, I didn’t mind it so much, as it allowed the green onions to stick to the okra more.

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 Meal Plan: Sept. 7-11

We’re actually going to be in Napa and Sonoma this weekend, so we won’t be getting a Local Box from Greenling this week. But I still have a few ideas for ways to use this week’s box contents, so I thought I would share them anyway.

This week, we’re getting cucumber melon and lettuce from Bluebonnet Hydroponics; eggplant and long beans from Animal Farm; canary melon, edamame and a variety of peppers from Tecalote; Texan pears and black-eyed peas from Lightsey Farms; basil or herbs from Pure Luck; shallots from Lundgren; and okra from Naegelin.

Here’s what I would have made:

Lunch:

• Chicken salad with herbs and lettuce

Side Dish:

• Quinoa salad with edamame and black-eyed peas
• Sauteed okra with pancetta and shallots

Dessert:

• Pear and melon skewers with honey-cinnamon yogurt dip

Dinner:

• Minced pork with eggplant, peppers and long beans

I’m bummed we won’t be getting a box, but I can’t say that we won’t be eating and drinking well!

Local Box Meal Plan: Aug. 31-Sept. 4

I’m a little late with the meal planning post today — sorry!

In our Greenling boxes this week, we’re getting summer squash, yellow onion and red potatoes from Naegelin, basil and lettuce from Bluebonnet Hydroponics, crimini mushrooms from Kitchen Pride, microgreens from Bella Verdi, red long beans from Animal Farm, jalapenos and serranos from Lundgren, okra from Bradshaw or Arnold Farms, and black-eyed or purple hull peas and Texas pears from Lightsey Farms.

So I’m making:

Condiments:

• Hot pepper jelly (this is great on top of cream cheese at parties!)

Dinners:

• Stir-fry with mushrooms and long beans
• Black-eyed pea curry
• Grilled salmon in lettuce leaves with a sesame-dressed microgreens salad
• Potato and squash gratin with basil

Side Dish:

• Kutchi Bhindi (sweet and sour okra)

Dessert:

• Champagne-poached pears

I’ve never seen Chinese long beans before, let alone cooked with them. How are you using them?

Corn Saute with Tomato and Fried Okra

[Printable Recipe]

What a way to use as many items from our Greenling box as possible! We’ve been getting okra and squash for the last few weeks, and we got garlic last week. Fresh corn and really ripe tomatoes have been abundant for a few weeks now too, so this was the perfect dish to use all of that beautiful produce. I served this with simple grilled chicken, but this side dish was really the star of the meal.

It makes at least 4 servings for hungry people, so we had plenty of leftovers.

From Epicurious

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal (1/4 c. was plenty)
• 12 large okra pods, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• Kernels from 3 ears of corn (~2 c.)
• 3 summer squash, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 12-ounce bag cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 green onions, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

• In a small bowl, toss the sliced okra lightly in the cornmeal to coat.
• Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Shake off the excess cornmeal with a slotted spoon, then add the breaded okra to the skillet and saute until coating is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the browned okra to paper towels to drain; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wipe out the skillet.
• Lower the heat to medium and heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in the same skillet. Add corn, squash, and garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, then cover and cook until squash is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
• Mix in okra, cilantro, and green onions. Remove from heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve immediately.

Verdict:
I couldn’t stop eating this. There were so many flavors and textures going — the brightness of the cilantro, the pungent acidity of the okra, the sweetness of the corn. And the colors were beautiful!

However, the cornmeal breading didn’t stay on the okra at all. I think I could’ve skipped that step and just browned the okra with the squash. However, if you want a true fried okra feel to the dish, I’d dredge it in egg before coating with cornmeal to ensure that the breading sticks.

Local Box Meal Plan: August 17-21

It’s that time of week again! We’ll be getting our Greenling Local Box on Thursday and I’ve got to plan for it.

This week, we’re getting chives (or mint) from Pure Luck, squash blossoms from Montesino, blueberries from Berry Best, pea shoots from Bluebonnet Hydroponics or Bella Verde, a pepper mix from Lundgren, okra or eggplant from Tecalote, squash from Naegelin, peaches from Cooper Orchards, lettuce from Bluebonnet, shallots and elephant garlic from Lundgren, and a Canary melon from Tecalote.

So I’m making:

Breakfast:

• Melon halves with cottage cheese (don’t knock it until you try it! Cottage cheese is a great source of protein in the early morning and it’s great when paired with a sweet melon like this.)

Side dishes:

• Grilled Caesar salad with garlic-rubbed grilled croutons
• Pea shoot stir-fry
• Fried squash blossoms stuffed with a chive-goat cheese mixture (if we get chives)
• Corn saute with jalapeno, okra, squash and tomatoes
• Peach-blueberry galette

And if we get mint instead of chives, I’ll be using that in one of the cocktails I’ll be serving at my friend’s lingerie shower this weekend. Champagne, lychee and bruised mint — yummy!

Have you come up with some creative ways to use your lettuce in recipes? I find myself eating it raw most of the time.

Baked Popcorn Okra

[Printable Recipe]

I have a love-hate relationship with okra. Until very recently, I didn’t know the love part existed. Until I baked it. All of the sliminess between your fingers when slicing, the ooze that won’t seem to leave your tongue long after swallowing — gone. And the crunchy crust wasn’t so bad either.

From Greenling — it’s Mason’s dad’s specialty!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. okra
• 1 c. cornmeal
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• Few turns of pepper
• 1 Tbsp. canola oil
• Pam spray

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Slice the okra into 1/4″ rounds.
• Mix the spices with the cornmeal, then add the okra and oil. Toss the okra well to coat thoroughly.
• Spray a baking sheet with Pam, then spread the cornmeal-coated okra in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the okra is golden brown and crunchy.

Verdict:
Crunchy and thoroughly ooze-free. Using my mom’s secret spice blend (equal parts paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt — try it on baked bone-in chicken, it’s delish. Oops, not so secret anymore. Sorry, mom.) made the coating so flavorful. I served them as a side dish, but to be honest, I was popping these in my mouth even before serving! Just couldn’t resist.