Dinner Plans: Week 41

It’s Week 41 of Dinner Plans and we're kickstarting soup season even if it's hot here!

After a brief respite from the hot weather, warm temps returned this weekend having us also returning to the pool. It's quite the juxtaposition as we shift our attention to fall produce. Despite the heat, the market's filled with pears, apples, figs, and squash. Marigolds are in abundance now in time to begin setting up our Dia de Muertos altar. 🧡

We picked up this week's CSA box and it's rich with eggplant, tomatoes, Anaheim peppers and greens for a DIY salad mix. I also picked up some oyster and trumpet mushrooms from Oak Grove Farms. They're mushrooms are the absolute best I've found at the Claremont Farmer's Market. Follow them on Instagram and visit them every Sunday at the market!

Seasonal Cooking Tip: DIY Salad Mix

When cooking seasonally, I've leaned on the practice of making our own salad mix. I remember the days when I would buy pre-packed greens only to have them sit in the fridge and go bad (who hasn't had that happen?). Now, on the weeks I get a few bunches of greens that work well for a salad mix, I take to making my own. This week we've got arugula, romaine, and purple kale that will work perfectly for this purpose. Here are three things I do to keep our greens crisp for salads all week long:

• Step 1: Wash and rinse your greens well with lukewarm water. You can also use a veggie wash to rinse out any remaining bug friends that came along for the ride in the produce box.
• Step 2: Dry the greens thoroughly. A salad spinner or clean linen kitchen towel works well to remove any moisture from the leaves. Doing so ensures the leaves stay crisp and fresh for the week ahead.
• Step 3: Store your cleaned greens in an airtight container or reusable bag. I love this Stasher Bag as it stands upright in the refrigerator and holds a good amount of the salad greens I put together from a given CSA box pickup.

Once you've got your salad greens prepped for the week you can whip up an easy vinaigrette to have on hand. Pantry staples are great to make homemade dressings a breeze. See Part I and Part II of my Pantry Essentials Series for more tips and recommendations for keeping a well stocked pantry no matter what size pantry you have.

DINNER PLANS FOR THE WEEK

As we navigate a growing food bill, I'm working to keep things simple for meals and relying on items we have on hand in the freezer and pantry. Apart from the CSA box, the only additional produce items I picked up were some mushrooms and avocados for toast. We've got eggplant to roast and a delicious carrot soup on the menu this week. Freezer stock will come in handy for simple soups that still hold tons of flavor. All good things for the week ahead.

Here is our game plan for dinner this week:

Sunday: Fall Harvest Salad with Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

Monday: A Lightened Up Version of Eggplant Parmesan (recipe idea from Eating Well here)

Tuesday: Chicken Tostadas (recipe inspo from Isabel Eats)

Wednesday: Maple Roast Harissa Carrot Soup with Crispy Mushrooms

Thursday: Stuffed Delicata Squash (recipe idea from Skinny Taste here)

Friday: Caldo de Pescado (Mexican Fish Soup)

Saturday: Pizza with Prosciutto and Mushrooms

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. 🧡