Local Box Meal Plan: Sept. 21-25

It’s cold and rainy outside, so this meal plan reflects the weather! Lots of soups, stews and stick-to-your ribs food. You know as soon as I get my Local Box on Thursday we’ll be in the 90s again. Oh well.

This week, we’re getting sweet corn, summer squash from Naegelin, southern peas from Animal Farm or Lightsey, purple eggplant, herb from Pure Luck, tomatoes from McCall Creek Farm, lettuce from Bluebonnet Hydroponics, pears from Lightsey, a variety of citrus from G&S Groves, green chiles and serranos from Lundgren, and pickling cucumbers or radish from My Father’s Farm.

So I’m making:

Appetizers:

• Panzanella with cucumbers, tomatoes and herbs (crossing fingers for cucumbers and basil!)
• Eggplant and squash caponata on bruschetta
• Green salad with pears, blue cheese and candied pecans

Dinner:

• White chicken chili with hot peppers and southern peas
• Corn chowder

I use citrus in so many of my dishes that I can’t think of anything I won’t use it in!

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 24-28

In our box this week, we’re getting blueberries from Berry Best, canary melon from Tecalote, basil from Montesino, herbs from Tecalote, limes from G&S Groves, lettuce from Bluebonnet Hydroponics, squash blossoms from Montesino, bell peppers from Tecalote or My Father’s Farm, eggplant from Tecalote, summer squash from Naegelin, baby leeks from Animal Farm, and garlic from Montesino.

We’re traveling to a wedding this weekend, so I’m trying to use up as many of the perishable items quickly.

For the morning before we travel, I’ll make a hearty fritatta with baby leeks, squash blossoms and herbs. I’ll also make grilled veggie sandwiches (made with grilled eggplant, summer squash, and bell peppers) spread with basil pesto to take on the plane.

When we get back, I’ll use the canary melon and limes to make agua fresca (probably add some ginger to cut through the sweetness) and a blueberry clafoutis.

In my neverending quest to cook lettuce, I found this recipe for lettuce soup. Seems a bit strange, but looks easy and tasty. Seems pretty healthy also!

Chicken Sausage Squash Boats

[Printable Recipe]

I have an unhealthy obsession with sausage (Exhibit A: here). It really is unhealthy, which is why I rarely have it, and when I do, I usually use chicken or turkey sausage. We’ve been getting plenty of summer squash in our Greenling boxes, and while slicing and grilling them or eating them on kabobs is great, this was a welcome change.

The recipe made a ton of filling, and even after I filled 8 zucchini boats, I still had plenty left over.

From Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

• 8 medium-sized summer squash
• 2 tsp. olive oil (I reduced the amount of oil from the original recipe.)
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c. chopped mushrooms (I used the other half of the portobello leftover from the chicken lettuce wraps)
• 1 lb. chicken sausage
• 2 Tbsp. dry white wine
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese (the original recipe called for 3/4 c., but it seemed like a bit much.)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ~1/2 tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper (I also reduced the amount of salt and pepper since the original recipe called for ground turkey, not turkey sausage [which already has salt, pepper and spices added].)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the inside and reserve half of the squash innards. Set the squash halves in a baking pan with 1/4″ of water in the bottom (the water will help the squash cook more evenly).
• Over medium-high heat, saute the onion and garlic with ~1/4 salt in 1 tsp. olive oil for about 3 minutes, until they get soft.
• Add the reserved squash innards and mushrooms and saute for another 2 minutes.
• Remove the mushroom-onion mixture from the pan and add another 1 tsp. olive oil. Crumble the chicken sausage into the pan and saute until browned (~5 minutes). After it’s browned, add the mushroom-onion mixture back into the pan and toss together. Add the wine, tomatoes and basil, as well as the other ~1/4 salt and few grinds of pepper, and let cook for a minute or so more.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the egg and parmesan.
• Fill the squash halves with the sausage mixture and bake for ~40 minutes until browned.

Verdict:
This meal was unexpectedly light, even with the sausage, most likely due to all of the veggies and fresh herbs. The squash was tender but not mushy and the sausage was crunchy on the outside. The flavors were fresh and vibrant, even for a comfort food meal!

My tomatoes were pretty ripe and there was a bit more liquid in the pan than I expected, so I let it reduce for a few minutes before finishing with the egg and parmesan. Glad I reduced the amounts of salt and oil in this recipe — I didn’t miss either.

Local Box Meal Plan for June 22-26

I’ve been in a cooking slump this week (I think it’s because of the move), which means that I neither got around to the green smoothie nor the grilled peaches this week. What can I say; peach pancakes won out over the smoothie!

At any rate, we’re getting peaches and blueberries in our Local Box again this week, so I have another shot. In addition, we’re also getting: pickling cucumbers from Acadian, blueberries from Berry Best, Juliette tomatoes from Acadian, summer squash from Walnut Creek, Beefsteak tomatoes from Urban Youth, lemon basil from My Father’s Farm or Acadian, onions from Acadian or Naegelin, LaSoda potatoes from Guinea Hill, peaches from Caskey, and sweet corn from Acadian or Richardson.

We’re getting 2 types of tomatoes this week, and I LOVE warm tomatoes. They’re my weakness. So you bet they’ll be finding their way to the grill!

So this week, we’re eating:

Breakfast:

• Banana-Blueberry-Oat Muffins
• A green smoothie

Sides:

• Beefsteak tomatoes stuffed with grilled corn salsa
• Potato salad (recipe to come in the Local Box)
• Pickles

Dinners:

• Grilled pizza with fresh mozzerella, lemon basil, Juliette tomatoes, and summer squash (if you’ve never grilled your pizzas, you have to try it. It’s my favorite way to make pizza!)
• My version of Good Stuff Eatery’s Obama burger with roquefort, bacon, and onion relish

Doesn’t that look SO good?! Believe me, it was.

With those grilled peaches from last week (hopefully) in there, too. They sounded awesome!

Turkey Meatball Kebobs with Tzatziki

I like subbing ground turkey for ground beef in most recipes. Sometimes it doesn’t work out as well as I would have liked, and sometimes it works out even better than the beef version. In this recipe, I actually prefer using turkey. It’s not as heavy, making it great for summer.

You could easily make this without putting the meatballs on kebobs, but kebobs seemed a bit more “Mediterranean” to me.

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

• 1 small red onion, chopped
• Olive oil
• 1 lb. ground turkey (I used 93% lean.)
• 1/2 c. breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 Tbsp. fresh dill, minced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Veggies for skewering (I used zucchini, summer squash, and cherry tomatoes.)
• Skewers

For the tzatziki (tzatziki is pretty standard, but these are the proportions that I prefer):

• 1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
• 8 oz. yogurt (I used fat-free, you can use whatever type you like. Greek yogurt, like Fage, is especially good.)
• 1 Tbsp. fresh dill, minced (I prefer dill, but mint or parsley can also be used, so feel free to substitute that if you like.)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Finely grate the cucumber with a box grater. Strain it in some cheesecloth over a bowl with a heavy weight on top (a can of Diet Coke works well!) to get rid of most of the water. It takes at least an hour to do this; I usually do this step the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight.
• Add the strained cucumber to the rest of the tzatziki ingredients and adjust the ingredients to taste, if necessary. Set aside to let the flavors marinate a bit. (You can make this a few days in advance.)
• Preheat the broiler and position the oven rack in the middle of the oven. You could also grill these.
• Saute the chopped onion in a bit of olive oil. Let cool, then add to the turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, dill, and salt. Combine the ingredients together with your hands, then form into 1-1/2″ meatballs.
• Skewer the meatballs with the veggies. Brush the tops of the meatballs with a bit of olive oil (just a bit!) to ensure nice browning on top, and add a bit of salt and pepper to the kebobs.
• Broil the kebobs for ~7 minutes, then flip them over and brush the other side of the meatballs with a bit of olive oil. Broil the kebobs for an additional 7 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes, then serve with the tzatziki and pita (if you’re grilling the kebobs, brush the pitas with a bit of olive oil and stick those on the grill too. YUM!).

Verdict:

Well, I could eat tzatziki with a spoon (and sometimes do), so anything with tzatziki will be awesome in my book. But the meatballs were flavorful (to avoid having superd-dry meatballs though, you really need to use at least 93% lean, if not darker meat). Sauteeing the onions added a nice layer of flavor and (I think) increased the moisture by adding a bit of fat, and the fresh dill was a refreshing change from parsley. Next time, I’ll probably add some cumin to the meatballs for a smoky underlying flavor.

Gnocchi with Summer Squash, Zucchini and Tomatoes

I tore this recipe out of Everyday Food, thinking that it would be super easy to throw together before Trivia Night at Flying Saucer and that it would be filling enough so that my husband wouldn’t gorge himself on their soft pretzels.

From Everyday Food

Ingredients:

• 1 package of gnocchi (or any kind of short pasta, really)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 zucchini, sliced and quartered
• 1 summer squash, sliced and quartered
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 c. fresh basil, chopped (I omitted this — for those of you who don’t know, I haven’t found basil that tastes great to me yet in Texas! It seems to have a minty aftertaste to me, but the horticulturalists I’ve spoken to think I’m crazy.)
• Pecorino Romano cheese (I just used Parmesan.)
• 1 Tbsp. butter (I omitted this. I thought the Parmesan made it creamy enough without adding too much extra fat.)
• 2 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:

• Cook the gnocchi as directed, making sure to reserve ~1/2 c. of cooking water. Keep in mind that they cook in ~3 minutes, so prepare accordingly.
• Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the squash. Saute for ~3 minutes until tender. Add the garlic and tomatoes and cook for another ~2 minutes.
• When the veggies are finished, remove from the heat and toss the veggies with the gnocchi, 1/2 c. cooking water, basil, cheese, butter (if using), and lemon juice.

I also tossed some crimini mushrooms with the veggies while they were sauteeing.

Verdict:
So I’ll be honest here: I don’t like gnocchi that much. I don’t know why; it’s something about the texture. I definitely would’ve preferred this with a hearty whole-wheat penne. That being said, this is a wonderfully light and flavorful meal, and comes together in a snap. The key is to use really fresh ingredients (since you’re not using a sauce, which would ordinarily mask the flavors of the veggies). You could also roast the veggies if you’re using firmer ones (like carrots or root veggies), but sauteeing = fewer steps = less time to wait to eat. Hey, what can I say — I was hungry.

Local Box Meal Plan for May 25-29

I’m late! I’m sorry. Having holidays on Mondays totally mess up my internal clock, leaving me to think that Tuesdays are really Mondays and so on. I realized this afternoon that today was actually Wednesday and I needed to get my Greenling meal plan going!

In this week’s box: blackberries (Naegelin Farm), cucumber (Buena Tierra), carrots (Tecolote), green beans (Acadian), summer squash (Naegelin), elephant garlic (Montesino), leeks (Acadian), mangoes (G&S Groves), peaches (Caskey), and garlic chives (Tecolote).

So for the next few days, we’re having:

Weekend brunch:

• Crepes with blackberries and fresh whipped cream (that’s if my husband doesn’t eat all of the blackberries before I can take them out of the green box — come on, I know you’re guilty of doing this, too!)
• Buttermilk biscuits with goat cheese and chives

Condiments:

• Tzatziki with cucumber and Greek yogurt (to be eaten with turkey meatball kebobs)
• Peach-mango jam

Dinner:

• Gnocchi primavera with garlic, green beans, carrots, and summer squash

Side dish:

• Polenta or mashed potatoes with leeks

What are you making this week?

Local Box, 09.17.2008

Here are the goods! We delved into our Local Box last night for some onions that I roasted and used as pizza topping along with last week’s roasted summer squash and zucchini. I’d like to have at those green beans tonight! Any great ideas on how to prepare them to best showcase their freshness?