Dinner Plans: Week 41

Week 41 of Dinner Plans and we're working relishing a bountiful fig season!

Our backyard fig tree is replete with pound upon pound of fresh Black Mission Figs. My little one will go out each morning to harvest 3 or 4. She doesn't eat them, yet. But, I love seeing her enthusiasm for going out each morning to the backyard garden and picking fruit right from the tree. It's inspiring me to think about how to best maximize the garden space so we can grow more food to nourish ourselves and share with our neighbors.

Seasonal Cooking Tip: Prep and Freeze Holiday Sides

With October now in full view it won't be long until the holiday season begins once more. This year, I am taking a proactive approach to a few easy sides to prep and freeze. Whether it's roasting and pureeing butternut squash for soup or making a batch of my cranberry-pomegranate sauce (recipe for that is coming in the next week!), if there are items you know you want to make for the holidays it's not a bad idea to prep those now.

This week, I made two quart sized containers of the cranberry-pomegranate sauce that will be perfect alongside our holiday turkey. Into the freezer it goes so it's ready for November.

Dinner Plans for Week 40

I mentioned in a previous Dinner Plans post that Stepping Stone Farm paused their farm CSA box and I'm not in another one. It's helping me to think through the ways I can share how we lean into seasonal cooking all year, outside of a CSA box. I'll start making my way back to the farmers market this week and have a goal to check out the ones along Napa Valley and Sonoma. I've heard great things about a few of them and the farm vendors that are in the area. I may even start a series about the farmers markets we visit, the items we purchase, and my game plan for dinners using it all up.

The garden is getting more and more dedicated attention now. I've planted beets, dark leafy greens, potatoes, carrots, and a few more items. Thankfully, I've labeled everything this season so I can properly track it all. Freezer cleanout continues and it's a Fig Week here as we're cooking out way through all the figs our tree has gifted us this harvest season.

Here’s what caught my attention in our garden, fridge, freezer, and pantry this week:

• Loads of Figs!
• Avocados
• Carrots
• Half a Black Futsu Squash
• 3 garden summer squash!
• Green and red LaLaLa Tomatoes from the garden pull
• Loads of fresh herbs: rosemary, sage, thyme, chives
• Pesto Cubes in the Freezer
• A picnic pork roast

Our Game Plan for Dinner this Week:

Sunday: Herb Roast Turkey Breast with Roast Carrots and Mashed Potatoes

Monday: Roast Fig and Heirloom Squash Salad (swapping out the feta for Bay Blue Cheese from Point Reyes Cheese this week)

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Pork Roast for Carnitas Taco Bowls with Fresh Pico De Gallo

Wednesday: Pasta with Pesto, Peas and Carrots

Thursday: Lamb Picadillo over Quinoa

Friday: Smash Burgers with Oven Fries

Saturday: Pizza Picnic with Spicy Marinara, Italian Sausage, Caramelized Onions, Peppers, and Fior di Latte

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. 😉