Dinner Plans: Week 40

Week 40 of Dinner Plans and we're working on the fall planting in our garden!

We've got the first rainfall on the horizon this week and I'm taking the time to sow a few seeds in our backyard garden. Chard, spinach, and a variety of lettuces all grow well here so I'm thinking a mix of greens for hearty salads with the autumnal squash come late fall/early winter.

Seasonal Cooking Tip: Maximizing Produce That's Seen Better Days

Some weeks, I'll come across items in the produce where I need a game plan to use it before it spoils, quickly. Mother Nature's sometimes unpredictable weather can have an affect on harvested produce. After a surprise rain, I had to harvest the last of the tomatoes and squash asap. Here's 3 ways I'll try to make the most of produce that's seen better days:

Roast Split Tomatoes to Make a Sauce: I'll dice and roast the split tomatoes we had in our box, taking care to cut around the split areas, then blend them with garlic, onion, and herbs for a quick tomato sauce I can freeze for future meals. This tomato sauce recipe is a good recipe to build from.

Add Wilted Greens to Soup Stock Base: I'll add wilted greens to a vegetable stock base on Sundays for meal prep. Think: broccoli green stems, spring onions that have wilted, browned basil. This will add flavor to your stock which you can use for soups or to cook up grains. Once done, add the cooked scraps to your composter or green waste bin.

Donate Produce to a Community Garden for Compost: As a final step, if you have produce that has seen better days, find a local community garden to donate near spoiling produce for their compost.

Dinner Plans for Week 40

We're still in Operation Fridge-Freezer-Pantry Clean Out mode. I've got a Picnic Pork Roast that I'll use for Slow Cooker Carnitas for easy taco bowls this week. I do have some short ribs I can braise. With the impending cooler temps and rainy weather, our favorite fall dinners are back on the menu.

Here’s what we have on hand this week:

• Black Futsu Squash
• Green Beans
• Baby Arugula
• Romaine Hearts
• Lots of Garden Figs!
• Summer Squash
• Corn in the Freezer

Our Game Plan for Dinner this Week:

Sunday: Sunday Lasagna with Squash and Chard

Monday: Salad Nicoise with Smoked Salmon

Tuesday: Fire Roasted Corn and Crispy Chickpea Salad

Wednesday: Roast Fig and Squash Salad

Thursday: Ground Beef Stir Fry Bowl with Garlicky Green Beans and Rice

Friday: Squash Ravioli with Butter Sage Sauce

Saturday: Pizza Picnic with Garlic Sauce, Baby Arugula, 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. 😉