Dinner Plans: Week 22

It’s Week 22 of Dinner Plans and we’re counting down to Summer!

It’s Memorial Day Weekend and I’ve got my parents in town! I’m excited to savor some time with them and to get a little bit of kid-free time with my husband. As we relish the unofficial kick-off to summer, I’m excited to see all the early summer produce making it’s way to our local farmers market. We’ve been scooping up cherries and stone fruits alongside fava beans and garlic scapes. Summer produce in Napa feels like a dream!

Seasonal Cooking Tip: Fennel Favorites

When it comes to seasonal cooking, this year I’m sharing a weekly tip here focused on preparing ingredients, preserving foods, and kitchen hacks that help you save time.

This week we’re talking about our Fennel Favorites. I spotted the fennel bulbs at our recent Coffee & Pastries CSA Member Event at Stepping Stone Farm and while we eagerly await this veggie’s arrival in our boxes, I’m brainstorming a few ways we’ll enjoy it.

Spring and Summer are for salads, in my view, and I particularly love salads that require minimal prep and cooking. Here are two salad ideas I’m dreaming up:

• Shaved Fennel and Citrus Salad: Mandarin or Cara Cara Orange Segments with the juice used in a quick vinaigrette. Layer a bed of arugula or delicate spring greens with shaved fennel and the citrus segments.
• Arugula, Artichoke, and Fennel Salad: Layer a bed of arugula onto a plate. Add thin slices of fennel and chopped marinated artichoke hearts. Drizzle with a lemon based vinaigrette.

Dinner Plans for Week 22

We’ve got loads of peas and leafy greens. I’m thinking of a few salad options to ensure we use it all. I’ll make two dressing varieties for the week ahead. I love the idea of a honey-herb-dijon situation for the arugula and a citrus based vinaigrette for the beets and carrots. The kohlrabi will be quick pickled and topped with chili oil to serve alongside either broiled or poached fish. I definitely have some recipes to write up!

Here’s what we received from our CSA shares this week:

Riverdog Farm:

• Snow Peas
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Red Leaf Lettuce
• Gold Oak Mandarins
• Bok Choi

Stepping Stone Farm:

• Sugar Load Snap Peas
• Boro Beets
• Beas Kohlrabi
• Esmee Arugula
• Orange Fancy Carrots
• English Thyme and French Tarragon

Our Game Plan for Dinner this Week:

Sunday: Shio Koji Marinated Roasted Cod with a Shaved Pickled Kohlrabi Salad with Chili Oil

Monday: Grated Beet and Carrot Salad with Creamy Cannellini Beans

Tuesday: Lamb Meatballs with a Shaved Kohlrabi and Mint Salad

Wednesday: Roast Herbed Turkey Breast alongside Cherry and Arugula Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing

Thursday: Crispy Marinated Tofu with Snow Pea and Carrot Stir Fry

Friday: Roast Salmon with Sugar Snap Pea, Radish, and Mint Salad

Saturday: Pizza with Carrot Top Pesto, Garlic Scapes, Fior di Latte and Crispy Prosciutto

From favorite recipes to new meal ideas using a wide variety of ingredients, cooking delicious food with our CSA definitely gets us out of a dinner rut while reducing 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. 😉