It’s Week 40 of Dinner Plans and we’re gearing up for fall baking!
I’ve narrowed our new farm CSAs to two and will be signing up for the first boxes this week! I’m looking forward to getting to know them both and to share them with you here. The decision to join two farm CSAs was really based on availability and the amount of produce we get in each box. I’m working on a separate post on who we picked and what supported that decision making so stay tuned.
Seasonal Cooking Tip: Prep the Pantry for the Holidays
We are entering the final three months of the calendar year. This also marks the start of the busiest time of year for cooking and baking. With holiday entertaining close on the horizon now is a good time to take stock of the pantry to prep for the weeks and months ahead. Here are three steps to take for assessing inventory and prepare your pantry for all your holiday cooking and baking needs:
- Step 1: Take a look at your spice cupboards. Is your cinnamon, ground clove, or nutmeg getting low? How about dried spices for brining or roasting? Take a look at what is in stock and make a list of items to purchase in bulk to restock.
- Step 2: Assess pantry cupboards. Look for the canned goods you’ll need or want and identify what needs to be replenished. Canned tomatoes for sauces, soups, and chilis or canned beans for a good game day chili are ones to always have on hand.
- Step 3: Make your shopping list and gather necessary items. Once you’ve checked the cupboards, consider the recipes you’ll want to make for the season and craft the list.
This is a great opportunity to consider any gifts you intend to bake or make this season. Consider ingredient needs and shop for those as well. I’m making vanilla extract this year so vanilla beans are on the shopping list this week.
DINNER PLANS FOR THE WEEK
We’re leaning into cooking with what we have on hand this week. I did stop by the local farmer’s market to pick up mushrooms, squash, tomatillos, and apples but the bulk of our menu this week is supplied by the last of the eggplant, squash, and greens we picked up at the farmers market two weeks ago. We’re making a vegetable stock, roasting veggies and sautéing greens to use it all up.
Here is our game plan for dinner this week:
Sunday: Mushroom Risotto
Monday: Garlicky Greens Dinner Toast with Fried Egg
Tuesday: Vegan Mushroom Tacos using the Lion’s Mane
Wednesday: Baked Ratatouille Pasta
Thursday: DIY Sushi Rolls with Shrimp and Avocado (I use this recipe from Just One Cookbook to make our sushi rice)
Friday: Shrimp Scampi Pasta
Saturday: Pizza with Sausage, Peppers, Onions, and Olives
From favorite recipes to new things with a wide variety of ingredients, cooking delicious food with our CSA definitely gets us out of a dinner rut and reduce food waste. I share meal ideas for our busy weeks with our weekly newsletter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to be in the know when they’re live. 😉
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