Farm Box Menu Plan - October 18, 2017

Here’s what I received from Farm Fresh to You (FFTY) on 10/18/2017, and my menu plan built from that list, based on the planning methods mentioned in this post.

Produce	Recipe
Green cabbage	Simply Spiced Spring Cabbage (yeah, I know it’s fall) from Made in India. This will make a great side dish with a yet to be determined something else.
Baby bok choy	Sautéed tofu with oyster sauce and cilantro from The Sunset Cookbook. I found this one by searching Eat Your Books for cilantro main dishes. The headnote says, “To gussy up this recipe, double the sauce and add bok choy.” Ok, it’s a plan! I already have tofu on hand.
Celery	Used in red beans and rice, egg salad, stir fry, etc. Oh, also these delicious rolls.
Cilantro	See #2
Collard greens	Collard greens were a learning experience for me when we first started getting farm boxes. It took me awhile to get used to their bitter taste and to find recipes that I liked. I learned that I greatly prefer them in long cooked recipes (soups) or with lots of other strongly-flavored ingredients. I will probably add these to red beans and rice with kielbasa or andouille (whichever is on sale), since I haven’t made that since last winter. I have cobbled together a few recipes for this, but it gets made in the Instant Pot. This always makes a ton so I have plenty to make into freezer lunches to bring to work. Yay! Leftovers!
King Richard leeks	I’ve never heard of this particular leek variety, but they sound very grand. This calls for one of the very first recipes I made when we started getting produce delivered (way back in...2012?): Potato leek soup. It’s a very simple soup that ends up tasting like way more than the sum of its parts. I use the recipe from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything, which is similar to this one. The keys to amped up flavor are to not peel the potatoes (dice them very small), use homemade chicken broth, saute the leeks in butter for much longer than the recipe says, and add lots of pepper. And then puree only partly (I use a stick blender) so it has a  robust texture.
Nantes carrots	Curry roasted carrots make a really nice side dish with all kinds of things. To be paired with #1 and a roasted pork loin.
Red leaf lettuce	I always clean and tear lettuce right away and store in the salad spinner for ready-to-go salads throughout the week.
Red potatoes	See #6
Sugar pie squash	This depends on the size of the squash that gets delivered, but my tentative plan is to make it into ravioli.
Zucchini	I will add these to #7 for more green veg in that meal.
12. Carrot greens	Last week’s carrots came with big, beautiful tops that seemed like a waste to throw out. I can’t eat carrots raw (they make my throat feel funny), so I am assuming their greens are the same. Most of the recipes I found use them raw, but I saw lots of references to adding them soups and cooking with other greens in a simple saute. So, I will give that a try.

Farm Box Delivery - October 4, 2017

Here’s what I received from Farm Fresh to You (FFTY) on 10/4/2017:

1. Rainbow carrots
2. Shishito peppers
3. Yellow finn potatoes
4. Orange sweet potatoes
5. Celery
6. Baby broccoli
7. Jalapeno peppers
8. Lacinto kale (Joe’s theory is holding up)
9. Red beets
10. Romaine lettuce
11. Roma tomatoes
12. Flat leaf parsley

And here’s how that translated into a menu plan, including tweaks I made along the way (based on the methods mentioned in this post).

1. Pasta e Broccoli alla Romana from the book Hip Pressure Cooking
1. Uses all of the broccoli
2. Will probably serve with grilled chicken
3. Because I had this on the menu last week, but ended up using that broccoli raw in my daily lunch salads (with farro, smoked salmon and goat cheese)
2. Creamed kale from Food52 A New Way to Dinner
1. Because I had it on the menu last week, but ended up making kale, onion, and cheddar M’semen from Hot Bread Kitchen (which were delicious and fun to make!)
2. I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it shouldn't feel like homework to Joe
3. Sweet potato & chorizo enchiladas
1. Because they are delicious. That is all.
2. This recipe needs a simple green side as a foil to the rich, spicy enchiladas. I ended up doing sauteed beet greens.
4. Stuffed tomatoes with rice and cheese from How to Cook Everything (HTCE; my favorite all-purpose cookbook), using the vegetarian variation
1. We have always eaten vegetarian meals regularly, but I am now making an effort to do so even more often, since CAFOs suck and I haven’t gotten around to buying a local half a pig yet (or the chest freezer I will need to store it)
2. HTCE is definitely one of my staple cookbooks. If I have an ingredient I need to use up or a vague menu idea in mind, this is usually my first stop for inspiration. I love that each recipe has multiple options and variations and the basics are solid. Many of my go-to, “the one!” recipes are in this book, including cornbread, pasta puttanesca, risotto, roast leg of lamb, potato leek soup, and clafouti.
3. We ended up really liking these. A great use for less than perfectly ripe tomatoes and cooked rice I happened to have on hand. I added a lot of parsley.
5. Caesar salad
1. A no-brainer when romaine arrives in the box
2. Will make a nice side with #4 & #6
6. Crisp and easy potatoes from My Kitchen Year
1. This ended up being served alongside “Michael's grilled London broil with red onions” from the same book
2. This is a recipe that starts with parboiling the potatoes in well-salted water before roasting in the oven. I used to always ignore recipes like that since it seemed like a waste of time and dirty dishes. But I have to admit that it really does result in a better flavored and textured roasted potato. As I have learned from reading Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, salty cooking water actually does season the potatoes from within without making them taste salty.
3. Joe did the shishitos on the BBQ after grilling the London broil. Sprinkled with lemon juice and smoked Maldon salt, they were so good and easy to eat all of them in one meal.
7. Beet and feta samosas from Made in India
1. Joe and I both love beets, but they do show up in the farm box often, so I am always looking for new ways to use them. I liked the look of these samosas because I enjoy kitchen projects that produce a lot of value for time spent and they are freezable
2. These ended up being delicious, fairly easy and fun to make. Will definitely make again!
3. I learned I shouldn’t just pile them all in a container for storage because they stick together. Next time, I will separate with waxed or parchment paper. Leftover samosas crisped up nicely in the toaster oven. And softer ones actually made a nice commuter breakfast (since the the phyllo didn’t shatter if I didn’t reheat them first).