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. 9-13

It’s the return of the corn! I didn’t think it would happen so late in the season, but I’m not complaining.

This week from Greenling, we’re getting corn from Home Sweet Farm, tangerines from Orange Blossom Farms, acorn squash from Massey Farm, gala apples from Top of Texas, red new potatoes from Naegelin, watermelon radishes from Ringer Farm, bok choy from Acadian Family Farm, grapefruit from G&S Groves, scallions from Lundgren Farm, yellow beans from Animal Farm, cilantro from My Father’s Farm, and (perhaps) mustard greens.

So I’m making:

Side Dishes:

• Radish salad with cilantro
• Bok choy slaw with Gala apples
• Jalapeno corn bread (since I still have a ton of serranos left from last week!)
• Garlicky yellow beans with scallions
• Balsamic-glazed chick peas with mustard greens

Dinners:

• Roasted acorn squash hollowed out and served with sesame chicken tenders in the middle
• Southwest corn and potato soup (which would also use the leftover serranos)

I’ll eat the tangerines and grapefruit as they are throughout the week for breakfast and snacks.

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. 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?

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.

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?

Local Box Meal Plan for July 20-24

Sorry for the brief hiatus in weekly Local Box meal plans, folks. Between our vacation last week and it being a lazy summer, we haven’t needed a meal plan for the last few weeks. But I’m back with a few new ideas!

This week, we’re getting figs, red potatoes from Naegelin, jalapenos from Lundgren, blueberries from Berry Best, Middle Eastern cucumbers from Acadian, mixed onions, purple hull peas from Animal Farm, peaches from Cooper Orchards, mixed peppers from Lundgren, tomatoes, basil from My Father’s Farm or Tecalote, and hydroponic lettuce from Bella Verde.

So I’m making:

Breakfast:

• Eggs with garlicky skillet potatoes and onions (my husband’s actually making this one, as he made up this recipe himself!)

Lunch:

• Chopped grilled chicken on a salad of lettuce, chopped basil, cucumber, tomatoes, and peppers

Side Dishes:

• Purple hull peas (made how Branny makes her lentils) with pepper-spiked cornbread
• Stuffed jalapenos (you know, the ones with the cream cheese and bacon? We’ll take these over to a friend’s BBQ this weekend.)

Dessert:

• Fig ice cream
• Grilled peach and blueberry cobbler (yep, a cobbler made in foil right on the grill!)

Figs are a bit hard for me because I don’t care for them too much (blasphemy — I know! It’s the seeds. Too many seeds.), so I have to make them as palatable as possible. I’m thinking ice cream is the best way to do this.

How are you using your Greenling box this week?

Barbecue Side Dishes

We had some friends over for a barbecue this weekend, and these 2 salads rounded out the meal. Both can be outside for extended periods of time (the potato salad isn’t mayo-based), so it’s perfect for your 4th of July barbecue this weekend.

Potato Salad with Dijon, Red Onion, and Herbs
I love potato salad, but the ones that are mayo-based are always so heavy. This one packs so much flavor from the dijon and white wine vinegar, so the heavy dressing isn’t necessary.

I used the lemon basil from our Greenling box this weekend, but I’ve also used flat-leaf parsley when I’ve made this before.

Adapted from NY Times

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. dijon mustard
• 2 finely minced garlic cloves
• Pinch of salt
• 2/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 large red potatoes
• 1/3. c. finely minced red onion
• 4 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley or basil
• 4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Directions:

• Remove the potatoes’ skin, if you like (I don’t). Cut the potatoes into small chunks. Boil for 10-12 minutes. Set aside.
• Whisk together the white wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Gradually add the extra-virgin olive oil. Set aside.
• Blend the flat-leaf parsley and red onion. Set aside.
• Thirty minutes before serving, pour the dressing over the potatoes and add the red onion/parsley mixture. Let the flavors marinate together, then top with goat cheese right before serving.

Verdict:
The salad is light, but very flavorful. The white wine vinegar and dijon give it a nice bite, and the goat cheese gives it a creamy mouthfeel. The parsley really brightens up the whole dish.

Macaroni Salad
This recipe is a remnant of my childhood when one of my favorite meals was pasta with italian dressing. Same concept, plus veggies.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. cooked short pasta
• ~1/2 c. Italian dressing
• Variety of veggies. I used a cucumber, a patty pan squash, a summer squash, and a pint of Juliette tomatoes, all of which came from our Greenling box this week. You could grill or roast them if you like, but raw is fine also.

Directions:

• Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat. Serve at room-temperature.

Verdict:
A completely different direction from the potato salad, this is a much simpler dish that really highlights the freshness of the veggies. It’s so quick to prepare and can be made a few hours in advance if you’re strapped for time.

Local Box Meal Plan for June 15-19

Great news — we’ve successfully moved! And I now have 2 very important things: a much bigger kitchen and a grill. You’ll see that our meal plan this week reflects my excitement over the grill!

This week, we’re getting: blueberries (Berry Best), cucumber (Buena Tierra), green bell pepper (Buena Tierra), green beans (Animal Farm), yellow squash (Naegelin), leeks (Acadian), sweet corn (Acadian), red potatoes (Guinea Hill), peaches (Caskey), shallots (Lundgren Farms), and chard or kale (Naegelin).

So:

Breakfast:

• “Green” smoothie with bananas, blueberries, and chard or kale (google “green smoothie” for an explanation of what it is. I’ve never had one before, but it sounds great!)

Dinner:

• Whole-wheat penne with leek pesto and a crispy leek garnish
• Calabasita with sweet corn and yellow squash

Sides:

• Grilled green beans tossed with sauteed shallots
• Grilled red potato coins
• Cucumber-green pepper salsa

Dessert:

• Grilled peaches with blue cheese and honey

Anyone tried a green smoothie before? What do you think?

Bison Burgers with Caramelized Onions and Red Potato Coins

This meal is so straightforward with so few ingredients that simple prose is sufficient. =)

To carmelize onions: melt butter in a skillet over medium heat, add sliced onions and a pinch of salt (sometimes I add a pinch of sugar too), and cook until the onions are soft and slightly browned (i.e., “caramel”). Stir frequently and watch constantly; don’t let the onions burn. **If you want to make this a meal you make entirely on the grill, don’t be afraid to stick your skillet directly on the grill! Bobby Flay does it all the time.**

The bison burgers were easy also — form ground meat into patties, add some salt (garlic salt, if you’re in my house), and either grill or pan-fry (~10 minutes for “medium” burgers). The meat is pretty lean, so you might need to spray the grill or pan with Pam to prevent sticking.

Those are homemade burger buns, but they turned out more like rolls, so I’m going to spare you that recipe.

Lastly, for the potato coins, slice the potatoes in 1/4″ discs, toss with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, and either grill or roast for ~15 minutes at 400 degrees (flipping once) until crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.

Verdict:
Quick, summery, and delicious! Best yet, with the exception of the cheese, this entire meal was made from local produce and meat. The veggies all came from our Greenling box and the meat came from the Shape Ranch booth at the Pearl Brewery farmer’s market.