Menu October 27- November 2

This weeks Produce Box includes a Butternut Squash, 3 Zucchinis, a pint of Grape Tomatoes, a head of Cabbage, a variety of 8 Apples and surprise items. My box's surprise items included 2 Green Tomatoes, 2 Red Bell Peppers and fresh herbs.

As much as I have tried twice now putting the Lemony Veggies and Couscous on my weekly menu, I still have not made it. Mind you not because I am dreading to prepare this dish but merely due to life circumstances which inevitably tweak my best laid dinner plans. I think I will shelf the recipe for this week, but I do plan on making it soon! I plan on using some of the zucchini for a casserole this week but I also have some left over from the DJ's Berry Patch I picked up last weekend which I'll turn into muffins or bread.

Wednesday- With my husband not home for dinner, I plan on whipping up a turkey soup with the leftover turkey breast from over the weekend. I'll add the leftover peas and carrots from last week as well. I will also throw in a cut up potato or sweet potato if I want to bulk it up more.

Thursday- There is a fundraiser for my daughter's school at Chick-Fil-A so that will be tonight's dinner followed by hosting a Tastefully Simple Party (yummy!).

Friday- With the cooler weather, I plan on preparing Butternut Squash Apple Soup and I will find an interesting way to prepare some Tastefully Simple Beer Bread to accompany the soup. I think I will add some cream to the soup puree as well as some minced garlic and thyme while I am sauteing the vegetables.

Saturday- Tonight's meal will be pork chops and an Eggplant and Zucchini Casserole. (As long as the eggplant from last week holds up.)

Sunday- Halloween usually means pizza for dinner and a Halloween cartoon before the kiddies venture out and go trick or treating. So tonight will be pizza and candy!!

Monday-It's hearty good eats this evening. I will be frying up chicken with Fried Green Tomatoes along with some gravy and mashed potatoes.

Tuesday-I'm not sure about tonight's meal but I will probably use the cabbage most likely as slaw. I'll need to think about this meal some more. ***Alright I gave it a little thought and I might make pulled pork sandwiches, it goes hand in hand with cole slaw!

October 20-26 Meals

This weeks Box contains 1 Large and 2 tiny Eggplants, 2 Bell Peppers, 3 Squash, 1lb. of Unshelled Striped Beans, 3 lbs. of Purple Sweet Potatoes, 3 Cucumbers and a variety of 10 Apples.

The White Bean and Sausage Cassoulet was a wonderful hearty meal. I am glad I threw it on the menu again last week! The Apple Stuffed Chicken was heavy on the thyme for my liking but the side dish of Butternut Squash Apple Bake was superb!

I had some zucchini left from 2 weeks ago and will make some more Zucchini Bread this week. I never made the apple muffins, most of the apples had been snacked on before the weekend! So maybe with this weeks apples I will try an apple cinnamon muffin recipe.

Wednesday, October 20- It's Mexican inspired dinner tonight. I will season ground beef with cumin and cayenne pepper, saute chopped pepper from my Box, add drained & rinsed black beans and diced tomatoes. The mixture will be served on flour tortillas and garnished with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Thursday, October 21- Thursdays are my busy hectic evenings. Therefore, my girls will dine on one of their favorites, Mac N Cheese with fresh fruit. My husband and I will eat later that evening, most likely cheeseburgers and a simple side.

Friday, October 22- Slow Cooker Turkey Breast served with potatoes and peas will be Friday's meal.
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

• Layer the bottom of your crockpot with one chopped sweet yellow onion, 1/4 cup chicken broth, and 1/2 tbsp. minced garilc.
  
• Rub the turkey inside and out with one packet of onion soup mix, also rub some oregano, thyme, and 1/2 tbsp minced garlic on the breast.
  
• Drizzle the breast with 1 tbsp. melted butter or olive oil. Place breast on top of onions and cook on high 1 hour.
  
• Reduce to low setting and continue cooking for 7 hours.
• During the last 3 hours, add quartered potatoes and/or sweet potatoes.
  
• While breast rests before craving, turn setting to high and in a small bowl or cup, mix together 2 tablespoons flour with 1/4 cup of liquid (chicken broth or water). Stir into crockpot, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until thickened.

Saturday, October 23- I will be entertaining company over the weekend and after late day soccer games we will be dining out, most likely at Tyler's Taproom in Apex!

Sunday, October 24- My husband will be getting some marinated beef from the Meat House in Cary to grill for dinner tonight. I will serve purple sweet potato fries, caramelized onions and peppers and a fresh salad with the beef.

Monday, October 25- I never made the Lemony Roasted Veggies and Couscous last week. So I will prepare it tonight using some of the potatoes from last week's Box and I will add some pepper and eggplant to the veggie mix. I will also add some minced garlic and serve it with shrimp.

Roasted Lemony Veggies & Couscous

1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped basil
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound) peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 4 cups)
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 pound red-skin potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup baby carrots, halved
1 cup couscous

Directions
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together lemon juice, basil, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, squash, potatoes and carrots. Sprinkle mixture with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Drizzle with prepared lemon dressing and stir well to combine.
3. Pour vegetable mixture into a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish and cover with foil. Bake at 375 degrees F for 35 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake another 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
4. When there is 10 minutes bake time remaining, prepare couscous according to package directions. Remove vegetable mixture from oven and carefully stir in couscous. Serve immediately.

Tuesday, October 26- I think I'll use the yellow squash from my box to make my Squash and Zucchini Burritos. I'll look for some zucchini at the farmer's market over the weekend.

Sounded Too Good to Wait

While looking for innovative ideas to prepare Butternut Squash, I stumbled across this recipe, Butternut Squash Apple Cranberry Bake, at SimplyRecipes.com. After reading the recipe, I couldn't resist making it with my butternut squash instead of the couscous meal I had intended it for. Therefore, Friday's meal will be the Apple Stuffed Chicken served along with the Butternut Squash Apple Bake. I did make a slight alteration to the butternut recipe. Not having any cranberries on hand, I substituted them with raisins. I also added a dash of cinnamon to the sugar mixture.

As it bakes away in my oven and the scents of nutmeg float through the air, I eagerly await the arrival of dinner to sample this sweet smelling dish!

October 13- October 19 Menu

This week's Box contains a variety of 8 Apples, 2 lbs. Irish Potatoes, 3 small Eggplant, Tomatoes, 3 lbs. Purple Sweet Potatoes and 1 Butternut Squash. Also in my Box was a pleasant surprise sample of air-dried sausage, Old Folks Country Sausage.

From last week's menu, I made Pumpkin Zucchini Bread much to my daughters' delight. However, I never made the White Bean and Sausage Cassoulet Recipe (I'll give it another chance this week). I think I will make some fresh Apple Cinnamon Muffins over the weekend with some of the apples from my Box. I'm not sure how I want to cook up the Butternut Squash. The Butternut Squash bread came out delicious, maybe turn them into muffins or make into a creamy soup? Such decisions, let the inspiration flow!

Wednesday, October 13- Since I didn't get around to cooking the cassoulet up last week, I plan on cooking it tonight. I'm not crazy about breadcrumb toppings and will most likely skip that part of the recipe.

White Bean and Sausage Cassoulet Recipe

2 tsp oil

3 links (10 oz) Italian sausage

2 medium carrots, thinly sliced

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 large onion, chopped

2 tsp minced garlic

3 cans (15.5 oz each) Great Northern beans, rinsed

2 cans (14.5 oz each) fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1⁄2 cup water

1 tsp dried thyme leaves

Seasoned Crumb Topping

2 tsp oil

1 tsp minced garlic

2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs from a baguette

2 Tbsp each grated Parmesan and chopped parsley

Recipe Preparation

1. Heat oven to 375ºF. You’ll need a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.

2. Heat oil in a 5-qt pot over medium heat. Brown sausages on all sides until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove to plate.

3. In fat remaining in saucepan, sauté carrots, celery, onion and garlic until golden, about 5 minutes.

4. Cut sausages into 1⁄4-in.-thick slices. Add sausages, beans, tomatoes and their juices, water and thyme to saucepan. Simmer, covered, 30 minutes or until heated through and flavors are blended.

5. Topping: Toss oil and garlic with bread crumbs; spread on prepared baking sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, tossing once, until toasted. Cool slightly; stir in Parmesan and parsley. Serve Topping with cassoulet.

Thursday, October 14- With a busy schedule and one less family member at the table for dinner, tonight will be simple and easy. Perhaps mac n' cheese or soup and sandwiches.

Friday, October 15- With the fresh butternut squash, sweet potatoes and Irish potatoes from my box, I will make Roasted Lemony Veggies & Couscous, a recipe I found in Family Circle. I think I may add some garlic and shrimp to this dish.

Roasted Lemony Veggies & Couscous

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped basil
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound) peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 4 cups)
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 pound red-skin potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup baby carrots, halved
1 cup couscous

Directions
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together lemon juice, basil, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, squash, potatoes and carrots. Sprinkle mixture with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Drizzle with prepared lemon dressing and stir well to combine.
3. Pour vegetable mixture into a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish and cover with foil. Bake at 375 degrees F for 35 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake another 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
4. When there is 10 minutes bake time remaining, prepare couscous according to package directions. Remove vegetable mixture from oven and carefully stir in couscous. Serve immediately.

Saturday, October 16- My girls will be camping with my husband this weekend. So I am either on my own for dinner or I will drive out to the campsite and have dinner al fresco with them.

Sunday, October 17- Using one of the apples from my box, I will be serving Apple-Stuffed Chicken with peas and rice for dinner tonight.

Monday, October 18- From Ikea, I will be preparing their Swedish Meatballs with sauce served over egg noodles. Yummy!

**Photographs reproduced for illustration purposes only from Family Circle and Woman's Day- no infringement of any copyrights intended**

October 6-12

With the Produce Box on a 2 week hiatus I was left to come up with my own inspiration for menus. Of course I fell into the traps of take out would be so much easier a couple of nights. I did make Butternut Squash Quick Bread by replacing the pumpkin in my pumpkin bread recipe. I must say it turned excellent and will repeat that recipe again. Although I did indulge in a few nights reprieve of cooking, I am proud to say that I came up with some decent menus over these last 2 weeks. But I am definitely excited about this week's return of the Produce Box!

This weeks Box marks the start of the Fall season boxes. My box includes: 3 small Eggplants, a pint of Cherry Tomatoes, Beans, 2 large Garlic Bulbs, 5 Zucchinis and a variety of 10 Apples.

My girls have been asking for zucchini bread and with the arrival of my Box I will quickly be at work baking up a few loaves.

Wednesday, October 6- My husband requested our delicious slow cooker Chili and it's a perfect meal for tonight.

Thursday, October 7- Quick and easy tonight-Cheese Quesidillas and Marinated Steak Fajitas

Friday, October 8- Garlic Italian Grilled Chicken with the Beans from my Box, there was a recipe in the newsletter which I am considering making up with the beans, and homemade macaroni salad.

Saturday, October 9- With soccer games and hopefully a stop at the farm to pick pumpkins, it's the perfect day for a Crock Pot Dinner.

Beef Stew
Ingredients
3 pounds cubed beef stew meat
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup baby carrots
4 large potatoes, cubed
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups beef broth
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup liquid (wine, beef broth or water)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions
1. Place meat in a large plastic bag. Combine 1/4 cup flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt; pour into the bag with the meat, and shake to coat.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add stew meat, and cook until evenly browned on the outside. Transfer to a slow cooker along with the carrots, potatoes, onions, minced garlic and pepper.
3. Mix together 2 cups of beef broth and dry soup mix; pour into the slow cooker. Pour wine into slow cooker.
4. Cover, and cook on High for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to Low, and cook for 6 hours, or until meat is fork tender. In a small bowl or cup, mix together 2 tablespoons flour with 1/4 cup of liquid (beef broth, wine or water). Stir into stew, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until thickened.

Sunday, October 10- I will be making my Eggplant Parmesan with the eggplant from my Box plus a few I picked up at a local farm stand and using my homemade Tomato Sauce (which I cooked up earlier in the Summer and froze). A fresh garden salad, with my home grown cucumbers and the cherry tomatoes from my Produce Box will accompany the meal.

Monday, October 11-I made something in the past similar to the below recipe and I think I will try this recipe from Woman's Day tonight using some of the garlic from by Box.
White Bean and Sausage Cassoulet Recipe
Ingredients
2 tsp oil
3 links (10 oz) Italian sausage
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
3 cans (15.5 oz each) Great Northern beans, rinsed
2 cans (14.5 oz each) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1⁄2 cup water
1 tsp dried thyme leaves

Seasoned Crumb Topping
2 tsp oil
1 tsp minced garlic
2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs from a baguette
2 Tbsp each grated Parmesan and chopped parsley

Recipe Preparation

1. Heat oven to 375ºF. You’ll need a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.
2. Heat oil in a 5-qt pot over medium heat. Brown sausages on all sides until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove to plate.
3. In fat remaining in saucepan, sauté carrots, celery, onion and garlic until golden, about 5 minutes.
4. Cut sausages into 1⁄4-in.-thick slices. Add sausages, beans, tomatoes and their juices, water and thyme to saucepan. Simmer, covered, 30 minutes or until heated through and flavors are blended.
5. Topping: Toss oil and garlic with bread crumbs; spread on prepared baking sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, tossing once, until toasted. Cool slightly; stir in Parmesan and parsley. Serve Topping with cassoulet.

Tuesday, October 12- If there are many leftovers, then we will have a smorgasbord of left overs tonight. Otherwise, I will need to come up with something, let the inspiration flow!