Weekly Menu: June 13-19

The Table is Set

I know you are wondering if we ate all the greens we got last week as part of our CSA share. Well, no. Still, I’m pretty proud of all we did eat! Two lbs of spinach, a big bunch of Swiss chard, all the scallions, bok choy and a gorgeous head of leafy green lettuce. Still lingering: green garlic (more garlicky than scallion-y) and the Japanese turnips.

I felt good about the recipes I found for the turnips (since you asked: a variety called “Hakurei”) and meant to use them, but like many things I meant to do last week (oh, like tweet more often, become the mother I wish I was i.e. more patient, and pay the water bill), it didn’t happen. Then our CSA sent out this note of endorsement for the Japanese turnip and made them sound like a fun, go-to veggie. I thought I would share it with you in case these little white guys are at your farmer’s market:

These small white sweet turnips are right up there with sugar snap peas and cherry tomatoes in terms of eat-it-right-from-the-field sweetness.  Their skin is tender enough to eat, and this outer layer has a mild radish like bite that goes well with the juicy and sweet center.  At the fancy-pants Blue Hill restaurant, they serve these raw, by themselves, as appetizers (with some clever presentation);  pop one into your mouth at home this week, and you’ll save a few hundred bucks and a trip to Tarrytown.

Sounds good, right? Taste test to come.

On to the menu:

Sunday: Spaghetti Carbonara with Smoky Bacon and Crusty Bread (needing that starch on starch with cheese fix)

Monday: Orrechiette with Pesto, Grilled Corn, and Tomatoes (obsessing over Buddhapesto from our 5th Avenue farmer’s market…YUM)

Tuesday: Grilled Veggie Burritos with Chipotle Cream

Wednesday: Marinated (Mom’s of course) Flank Steak and Simple Salad

Thursday: Trying this Smitten Kitchen recipe for Crisp Black Bean Tacos & Feta Slaw. We have everything on hand and it promises to cook up in 10 minutes. SOLD.

Friday: Sizzling Shrimp with Capers & Lemon-Wine Sauce over Rice & Greens

Saturday: Pizza Night!

Bon Appétit!

Weekly Menu for June 6-12th: The CSA Begins!

Our CSA pick-ups started this week with 2 lbs of spinach (!!), a gorgeous head of leafy lettuce, Swiss chard, green garlic, bok choy, scallions and Japanese turnips.  In other words: greens and more greens.  The challenge is, of course, to try and use all these things before they get soggy or limp.  The race is on!

Sunday: Shrimp & Soba Noodles over Bok Choy with Fried Shallots (a variation on the delicious Food & Wine cover recipe we fell in love with a month or so ago).  We’ll also use some of the green garlic in this dish.

Monday: Spaghetti with Swiss chard and Garlic Chips (Smitten Kitchen via Gourmet). Looks simple and includes kalamata olives & feta- yum!

Tuesday: We’re eating out- it’s Brooklyn Blog Fest!! Kids will have pasta and veggies

Wednesday: Spinach and Shiitake Mushroom Burritos

Thursday: Pork Chops and Black Bean Quinoa (no, really, we have the chops so it’s gonna happen). I’m going to try and either braise the Japanese turnips with garlic and onion (an example HERE) or do a simple salad with the turnips and apple (inspiration HERE).

Friday: Pizza night. Maybe we’ll try pizza on the grill?

Saturday: Flying Pigs Farm Jerk Sausage over Bacon-y Greens (whatever is left) with Corn and Tomatoes

Happy eating!

Dinner!