October 9 - October 15

Friday: Taco Salad
Weekend 
Pureed Kohlrabi for baby food
Baked Chicken with Wild Rice with Butternut Squash, Leeks, and Corn (from Fresh Edibles Newsletter) Puree other half of the squash for baby food

Swiss Chard with Garbanzo Beans and Tomatoes (use garbanzos from freezer & make more baby food with extra beans and chard)

Stuffed Vegetables (use ground lamb too for some protein)

Carrot Fennel Sausage Pasta

Groceries
Milk
Bbars
Fennel
ground lamb or beef

September 24 - 30

This week we have visitors and will be out and about a lot so I'm not nailing any of these to one particular day.

For tomatoes:
Tomato pie
For Kale:
Winter Vegetable Hash (using summer squash instead of acorn)
OR
Kale smoothie
For Lemon thyme:

Baked Chicken with Lemon Thyme Wine Sauce

4 Boneless chicken breasts 1 Cup dry white wine 2 Tablespoons butter 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1/2 Small onion, chopped 1 Teaspoon garlic, minced 1/8 Teaspoon white pepper

1/4 Cup cream or half & half 1 Tablespoon flour 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon thyme, or 1 Teaspoon dried 1/2 Cup Swiss cheese, grated (optional) 8 Lemon thyme sprigs, 2-3" in length Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375F. Pierce chicken breasts with fork and arrange in a baking dish. Add wine and marinate for 10 minutes. Sauté onions and garlic in butter and olive oil until transparent. Remove the onion and garlic with a slotted spoon and set them aside, along with the seasoned oil. In a blender, thoroughly blend the wine, pepper, cream, flour, and lemon thyme, adding onions and garlic. Brown the chicken in the seasoned oil over a medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, turning once. Return chicken to baking dish and add the blended sauce. Cover and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the cover and cook an additional 15 minutes. (Optional: add Swiss cheese during last 5 minutes of cooking.) Garnish with sprigs of lemon thyme. Serves four. DEAN PAILLER, THE FLOWERY BRANCH SEED CO.

Thyme Biscuits

2 Cups flour 1 Tablespoon baking powder 1 Tablespoon sugar 1 Teaspoon salt	8 Tablespoons butter 3/4 Cup buttermilk 1 Whole egg, beaten 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
Preheat oven to 425F. Sift together dry ingredients. Cut butter into mixture, but do not overwork. Stir inmilk, egg, and thyme. Turn dough onto floured bread board. Knead a dozen times. Roll dough into golf-ball-size balls. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 12-14 minutes, until done. Serve hot. Yield: 12-16 biscuits. RON ZIMMERMAN, THE HERB FARM

 Lemon Thyme cooler

2 Cups water 1/2 Teaspoon fresh lemon thyme leaves 1/2 Teaspoon honey
Bring water to a boil and remove from the heat. Add thyme leaves and steep for 5 minutes. Strain into cups and add honey. Relax and enjoy.

For beets and turnips:
Smoky root vegetable gratin (use beets instead of parsnips) dry the ancho chiles for 10-12 hours ahead of time.

Groceries:
Shitake mushrooms
yukon gold potatoes

eggs (boo - hens didn't lay enough this week)
butter
cheese (guyere and parmesan and fresh mozzarella and others)
lunch food
fruit

September 17 - 22 Menu Plan

Friday -cucumber & tomato salad, sausage stuffed pattypan
Weekend - zucchini hummus, peppers, and pita bread, swiss chard with golden raisins (RR p 253), make baby carrots

Monday - Squash and Zucchini Burritos,
Tuesday - Green Rice, baked chicken
Wednesday - Chile Rellenos and Rice and Beans (Make Chiles over weekend, make beans in crockpot in am), make bean baby food.
Thursday Coop - Zucchini Muffins (kid baking)

Green Rice: Clean and slice up some spinach into ribbons (chiffonade), dice and saute an onion. Toast some sunflower seeds. Use about three cups of cooked rice (long grain brown rice is good for this dish).

Mix rice, sunflower seeds, onion and spinach, place in greased casserole. Cover with egg and milk mixture (salt and pepper to taste). Use one egg for each 1/2 cup of milk. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Bake at 350 for an hour, til top begins to brown. If you use brown rice, you have a one dish vegetarian meal with good protein value. From http://www.idigmygarden.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-23130.html


Have:
Green Onions
Pattypan
Carrots
3 purple bell peppers
zucchini
yellow/green summer squash
2 round yellow squash
2 yellow long squash
6 jalepenos
2 lemon cucumbers
green striped squash
green round squash
3 ancho chiles
yellow pepper
green pepper
rosemary
thai basil
tomatoes
turnip
new zealand spinach
swiss chard
strawberries
melon

Grocery Store:
milk
Yogurt (whole milk - plain)
honey
oat flour (optional)
snacks
prunes (for baby prunes)

if on sale:
organic sugar

September 9 - 15 Dinner Menu Plan

Thursday - Faux Chicken Parm with Homemade Tomato Sauce <I added a stevia leaf to sweeten a little>
Friday - Polenta, Squash and Black Beans
Weekend - Tilapia with Tomatillo Sauce and Avocados with Creamy Maque Choux (RR p 162)
Monday - Lentil Salad with Carrots Tomatoes, and Bell Peppers
Tuesday - Moroccan Carrot Salad and Moroccan Chicken and Baby carrots with leftovers
Wednesday - zucchini hummus, peppers, and pita bread, swiss chard with golden raisins (RR p 253)

From CSA -
Carrots
Swiss Chard
Melon
Blackberries
Strawberries
Bell Peppers
Jalapenos
Tomatoes
Corn
Cippolini Onions
Oregano
Stevia
Squash
Cucumber

From Grocery Store:
feta
pancetta
Tilapia
polenta
golden raisins
Lime
avocados (2)

September 2 - 8, 2010 Dinner Plan

Plan
Thursday - Linguine Alfredo with New Zealand Spinach
Friday - Tacos with Peppers, Salsa, and Beans  and Avocado & Squash with salty cheese
Saturday - Chicken, Grated Beets, and Beet Green with Orange Butter, Roasted Radishes
Sunday - Tuna and Potato Stuffed Ancho Chiles
Monday - BBQ @ McCauley's - Bring Green Bean Salad and a drink
Tuesday - Swiss Chard Pie (Page 80 of Vegetarian Cookbook), add grated yellow squash
Wednesday -Spaghetti Sauce with ALL tomatoes, with spaghetti and meatballs and garlic bread

CSA veggies:
New Zealand Spinach- make more baby food out of leftovers from Thursday
Tomatoes - use up with sauce on Wednesday
String Beans - Monday
Yellow Beans - Monday
Purple Beans - Monday
Beets - Saturday
Radishes - Saturday
Swiss Chard - Tuesday
Shallots - Saturday
Lemon Cucumbers - Use instead of Lettuce Monday
Cucumber - Use Instead of Lettuce Monday
Strawberries
Melons
Ancho Chiles - Sunday
Jalepenos - Salsa Friday
Squashes - make leftovers into baby food and squash cookies (once oven is clean)
purple peppers -
red peppers - with tacos
green peppers -

Grocery List
goat cheese (3 oz)
Sherry Wine Vinegar
buttermilk
butter
ahi tuna
whipping cream
horseradish
whole grain mustard
lime juice
Red Potatoes
cilantro
avocados (2)
Salty mexican cheese

August 28, 2010: Grilled Stuff

What was planned: Grilled Veggie Salad with grilled chicken



What we had: Grilled Veggie Salad with grilled chicken drumsticks

Why: Free Range Drumsticks were on sale at Raley's

Notes: The chicken is supposed to marinade for at least an hour, so make that marinade first before the vegetable marinade.  Doing this ahead might make more sense. I used the meat thermometer and the chicken came out wonderful. The Veggie Salad was modified - no mushrooms, so the grated cheese just went on top.  This is a great way to eat green peppers!

Friday August 27

What was planned: Chile Rellenos with Rice and Beans (make pinto bean baby food in the am for crock pot)

What we had: Chile Rellenos with Rice and leftover refried black beans (canned)

Why: Didn't get the crockpot started in the am.

What Logan ate: 1 cube sweet potatoes, 1 cube green beans
  
Notes:  The Chile Rellenos were a little labor-intensive, but it paid off because they were yummy. RJ ate some and didn't complain that they were spicy (they were mild). I had two CSA ancho chiles and one store-bought anaheim.  I liked the ancho chiles better, but both were good.  If I were to make again, I would add a little more salt to the batter and I would use at least 1 fewer egg.  I don't think they needed that much egg for the batter. Perhaps with bigger peppers, one would, but ours were small.  I felt like I was wasting those yummy CSA free-range eggs.

August 27 - Sept 1 Plan

 The Plan:
Thursday - Pasta with olive oil, basil, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and Romano
Friday - Chile Rellenos with Rice and Beans (make pinto bean baby food in the am for crock pot)
Weekend - Grilled Veggie Salad with grilled chicken
Monday - lemon cuke and basil salad with ground turkey gyros with yogurt tzatziki sauce on pita
Wednesday - Leftovers Salad, yellow bean baby food, roasted radishes

From CSA:
ancho peppers
onion
garlic
bell peppers
garlic
purple beans
corn

summer squash
jalapeno
lettuce
tomatoes
lemon cucumbers
basil
yellow beans
radishes

From grocery store:

milk
fontina cheese
syrup
plain yogurt
lemon juice
red wine vinegar
ground turkey/lamb
fancy salt

Friday Dinner

What I planned:

Cheeseburgers, carrots, Corn (Make corn and carrot baby food)

Reality: 

I made burgers from organic ground beef with some garlic powder and salt and grilled them.  Topped them with Organic Monterrey Jack, organic ketchup, and Farmer Bob's tomatoes and lettuce.  On the side I steamed Farmer Bob's corn and carrots in the tiered steamer (corn on the bottom, cut up carrots on the top).  I actually used the carrots from last weeks CSA box as well as this weeks, because I wanted to make some more baby food.  However, I got started late with dinner, so I didn't get around to making the baby carrots or corn and the leftovers are in the fridge for me to make later.

Baby's dinner was instead 1 cube of potatoes and 1 cube of green beans from the freezer.

Bottom Line: Good summer meal.