Dinner Plans: Week 36

It’s Week 36 of Dinner Plans and we are preparing to say good-bye to Summer!

Labor Day Weekend marks the unofficial end of summer here and we're soaking up the final weeks of the season by savoring the season's best. We're swimming in tomatoes, peppers, and squash now so I'm looking to all the creative ways to savor and save summer's best at its peak ripeness.

Seasonal Cooking Tip: Melon Madness

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 the delicious melon. We've received a couple watermelons in our weekly CSA box and apart from this salad with a slightly sweet and spicy dressing, making agua fresca is one of my favorite drinks to keep cool during hot days.

Popsicles are another way we enjoy this summer time fruit. Simply blend diced chunks of melon with a splash of lime juice and maple syrup. Depending on how sweet the melon is you may need to add more or less syrup to reach desired level of sweetness. Pour the blended mixture into your popsicle molds and freeze until solid. It's the easiest late summer treat!

Dinner Plans for Week 36

And just like that, we're celebrating the unofficial end of summer. This week's CSA box is brimming with peppers and tomatoes. I've got plans for the okra for a delicious Meatless Monday option to serve alongside roti and curried chickpeas and tomatoes. I'm trying my hand at making mole for the first time this week as the Midnight Roma Tomatoes in our CSA box looks absolutely gorgeous and it just felt like mole was the way to go. Peppers for fajitas, breakfast scrambles, and stir fries for the week, too.

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

Stepping Stone Farm:

• Midnight Roma Tomatoes
• Natsu Cocoa Watermelon
• Burmese Okra
• Corno di Toro Pepper (Heirloom Italian Frying Pepper)
• Manganji Pepper (Japanese Green Frying Pepper)
• Clear Dawn Yellow Onion
• Shio Koji Granola from Rice Flower Koji

Our Game Plan for Dinner this Week:

Sunday: Mole Chicken Enchiladas using a recipe adapted from Convivir by Chef Rogelio Garcia

Monday: Masala Bhindi with Roti and Curried Chickpeas and Tomatoes

Tuesday: 30 Minute Sirloin Steak Fajitas

Wednesday: Pasta with 30 Minute Heirloom Tomato Sauce

Thursday: Grilled Chipotle Chicken with Watermelon Salad

Friday: Smash Burgers with Caramelized Onions and Spicy Tomato Jam

Saturday: Pizza Picnic with Peppers, Onions, and Italian Sausage

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. 😉