Dinner Plans: Week 42

It’s Week 42 of Dinner Plans and we're officially ringing in Autumn here in Napa!

So happy to experience a bit of cooler weather post California heat wave. My husband shared with me that we actually got a bit of rain Saturday evening while I was taking a cooking class at The Civic Kitchen. Waking to foggy mornings, crisp leaves falling to the ground, and cooler temps definitely are giving Fall vibes.

DINNER PLANS FOR THE WEEK

We picked up our first 3 CSA shares this week! Our first flour share pick-up from Farmer Mai was a delight. Over the next four months we'll receive two 3-pound bags of Sonora and Chiddam flours to enjoy with everyday baking. The next farm CSA is Stepping Stone Farm. Patrick offers a Fall/Winter CSA which will be wonderful to supplement our Riverdog Farm CSA shares. Here's a list of the fruits and vegetables we received:

Stepping Stone Farm:

• Jimmy Nardello peppers
• Beets with their greens
• Spinach
• Leeks
• Shishito Peppers
• Radishes
• Shio Koji (this feels like a treat!)

Riverdog Farm:

• Heirloom tomatoes
• Torch Cherry Tomatoes
• Kale
• Braising Greens
• Parsley
• Charentais Melon (Cantelope)

The cooler temps call for slow simmered suppers. Braised lamb shanks with a roasted peperonata using the Jimmy Nardellos and a bit of the braising greens are giving cold weather comfort. A grated beet salad for easy Work From Home lunches. And my favorite way to enjoy Shishito Peppers.

After picking up the CSA boxes I made a short list of produce to pick up at our weekly Napa Farmers Market. From cauliflower to peppers to loads of California berries, the week's meals are going to be delicious. Scroll down for the week's menu.

Here is our game plan for dinner this week:

Sunday: Braised Lamb Shanks with Peperonata and Roast Cauliflower Purée

Monday: Grated Beet and Carrot Salad with Farro and Cooked Marcella Beans

Tuesday: Grilled Citrus Marinated Flank Steak with Mexican Caesar Brussels (recipe from Sara Forte's Around Our Table) and Shishito Rellenos

Wednesday: Roast Butternut Squash Salad with Farro and Roast Chicken

Thursday: Risotto with Leeks and Greens adapting from this recipe on the blog

Friday: Radish and Butter Tartines with a Simple Salad

Saturday: Pizza with Fontina and Four Mushrooms (Oyster, Lion’s Mane, Trumpet, and Portobellos)

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. 😉

Wishing you a nourishing week ahead. 🧡