Dinner Plans: Week 23

It’s Week 23 of Dinner Plans and we're ushering in a new month!

It's hard to believe we're rounding the corner to the halfway point of the year. Our first summer in Napa is one I'm really looking forward to. We're wrapping up our homeschool year in a couple weeks and I'm looking forward to a little ease the routine. Early morning hikes, beach days by the coast, and finding all the delicious farm stand produce means it's going to be a summer of fun!

Seasonal Cooking Tip: Picking Artichokes

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 artichokes. I have seen them in regular appearance at the farmers market and these make for a seasonal favorite. In season from late spring through early summer, they make for a delicious seasonal dish or appetizer. Here's how to pick the best ones for your dinner table:

• Find ones that are plump, firm, and heavy for their size.
• Leaves should be tightly closed though they can be shades of green or even purple
• The stem should be firm and not limp or droopy which signals it's past its peak ripeness.

Dinner Plans for Week 23

We've got loads of peas to enjoy. Plenty of greens for a variety of salads for recipes I'm working to get on the blog asap for all the summertime picnics. With the whole broccoli, I'll use the stems for veggie stock, the leaves for breakfast scrambles, and the florets for the broccoli salad on the menu this week. Stay tuned for all the delicious recipes we're making this season!

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

Riverdog Farm:

• Gold Oak Gold Nugget Mandarins
• Red Gem Lettuce
• Baby Green Oak Lettuce
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Broccoli with Stems and Leaves
• The First Round of Summer Squash
• Red Beet

Stepping Stone Farm:

• Sugar Load Snap Peas
• Song-JTS Cauliflower
• Tiara Cabbage
• Finale Fennel
• Newham Little Gem Lettuce
• Bacchus Radish

Our Game Plan for Dinner this Week:

Sunday: Slow Roast Cod with Cauliflower Purée and Fig Leaf Oil

Monday: Crispy Marinated Chickpeas with Farmers Market Greens Salad

Tuesday: Beef Fajitas with Jalapeño Cilantro Cabbage Slaw

Wednesday: Roast Salmon with Sugar Snap Pea Salad

Thursday: Shaved Fennel Salad with Grapefruit and Citrus Dressing

Friday: Burgers and Broccoli Salad

Saturday: Pizza with Peaches, Crispy Prosciutto and Burrata with Balsamic

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. 😉