After our garden flopped, we decided to purchase into a local organic CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Our box this week had Swiss Chard, Eggplant, Zucchini, Squash, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Cantaloupe, Cabbage, and Blackberries. I have tried to incorporate each item into our meal for the week. There are two items I don’t know what to do with, they are eggplant and cabbage. Anyone have recommendations? I’d love to hear them!
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What about you, what is on your meal plan this week?
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Dinners:
Pasta with Swiss Chard, wheat rolls and watermelon
Greek Chicken Pitas
Mediterranean Salmon Pasta with grilled veggies and corn
Cucumber Salad
Orzo Salad
White Beans and Chow-Chow with corn bread
Blackberry Pie
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Lunches:
Turkey Sandwiches
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, cantaloupe
Peanut butter and honey sandwiches,watermelon
Leftovers – White Beans, Chicken Pitas
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Breakfast:
whole wheat pancakes, strawberries with honey
strawberry smoothie, whole wheat toast w/ peanut butter
cereal, whole wheat toast w/ jelly
egg sandwich w/ cheese, fruit
oatmeal, whole wheat toast, sliced apples
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Snacks:
homemade popcorn
smoothies
apples w/ peanut butter
applesauce
go-gurts
cheese slices on crackers
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What meals are you planning this week? Any tips on how to easily meal plan? Whether or not you posted your meal plan for the week, please take a moment to leave your meal plan here. Let’s help each other out in sticking to our budgets!
My favorite for eggplant is eggplant parmesan. You thinely cut the eggplant and brown it on both sides. Add your favorite tomatoe sauce and top with parm or mozzerella cheese. You can layer it like a lasagna and bake.
For the cabbage, I love fish tacos with shredded cabbage with a mango salsa. You can also do a chinesse chicken salad with shredded cabbage and almonds and roasted chicken, healthy and light for summer.
Lora – Do you have a recipe for your Chinese Chicken Salad? That sounds great!
We usually make Runzas (Bierocks) with cabbage in the winter, but they can easily be frozen and are great to have on hand like Hot Pockets! There’s a sample recipe at http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Runza-meat-pies/Detail.aspx They are a traditional German dish so feel free to season to taste.
Here’s a sample recipe for Eggplant Parmesan, suggested by another reader http://annies-eats.com/2010/01/18/eggplant-parmesan/ or you can make it into a panini http://annies-eats.com/2010/04/12/eggplant-parmesan-panini/ or if you’re feeling particularly Mediterranean there’s always Baba Ganoush!
Grill the eggplant with your grilled vegies on the salmon day. Or if you ever do roasted vegies, it is really good that way too.
I’m not a huge fan of cabbage, but my stepdad makes an awesome side with it. I don’t have exact numbers of what he uses, but it’s pretty straightforward….
1. Brown some bacon (make sure it’s well done… my DH and I use turkey bacon).
2. Cook some onions in olive oil until translucent.
3. Add cabbage and crumbled bacon to the olive oil/onions and season to taste.
Sorry I don’t have an exact recipe, but it’s pretty simple to adjust it for your families needs. This is one of my favorite side dishes at my parent’s house and they’ve served it with many different main courses… plus it’s just so simple!
I love homemade cole slaw with the cabbage. If you search for the mock recipe for KFC it is easy and VERY good.
What CSA do you use? I live in the same area as you. How much produce do you get each week?
Kelly,
Roasted cabbage is so yummy! It’s pretty much the only way I like it. Just leave in big wedges (maybe 4 per cabbage head), drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast in the oven – sorry I don’t remember exactly how long.