Dinner Plans: Week 2

It's Week 2 of Dinner Plans and we're leaning into winter's citrus notes!

Between our first tree harvest and my mother-in-law, we are swimming in 5+ pounds of Meyer Lemons. Citrus abounds at the farmers market and I made my first batch of yuzu kosho for fish marinades later in the week. The easiest way I preserved this harvest? Freezing the zest and juice of all the lemons. Zesting all the lemons left me with 16 tablespoons of zest which can be used for herbed salts, sugars, dressings, and marinades. Juicing the lemons resulted in 7 cups of fresh squeezed lemon juice which will work for lemon curd, lemonade concentrate, and marinades. Both the zest and juice will keep in the freezer, stored in freezer safe containers and bags, for up to a year.

Dinner Plans for Week 2

I've got work travel on the agenda for the first half of the week, so dinners for the family while I'm away are meant to be super simple and satisfying. Meanwhile, we're doing a deep dive into the fridge and freezer inventory to continue our plans for the week. Light farmers market hauls and farm stand visits provide us with the seasonal produce we need for the week ahead.

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

• 1 pound turkey chorizo
• 1 bunch chard
• Napoli Carrots + Carrot Tops
• Sprouting Broccoli
• Sprouting Cauliflower
• Boneless Pork Chops
• Koji Marinade
• Brown Rice
• Risotto Rice

Our Game Plan for Dinner this Week:

Sunday: Pepperoni Pizza and Quick Side Salad

Monday: Simple Seasonal Strata

Tuesday: Turkey Chorizo & Potato Tacos

Wednesday: Roast Cauliflower and Carrot Soup with Koji Marinated Boneless Pork Chops

Thursday: Roast Salmon Salad Bowls with Grains

Friday: Mushroom Risotto

Saturday: Pizza Picnic with Caramelized Onions, Peppers, Fontina, and 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. 😉