July 20- July 26

This week I received:

• 1 quart peaches
• 1 Oriental Melon
• Bell Peppers
• 1 Sprite Melon  
• Vine-ripe tomatoes (double share)
• 6 ears of corn
• A Surprise item- which is a variety of squashes

I also ordered an Add-On of 1 qt.of  Roma Tomatoes.  The melon will great for snacks and the Roma tomatoes combined with both the Box's and my garden's crop of tomatoes will be turned into sauce.

I have adapted my recipe for Tomato Sauce to my family's preferences adding: shredded carrot, omitting celery, replace spices with 2 tsp each Oregano, Basil & Rosemary, and after 2 hours of simmering I add 2 tsp pepper & 1 tsp of salt. Also I have pureed most of the sauce since my family prefers a less chunky sauce.  I will also be adding one can of tomato paste.

Revised Tomato Sauce

• 10 ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons dried Rosemary
  
• 1/4 cup Burgundy wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2-1 can tomato paste

Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Have ready a large bowl of iced water. Plunge whole tomatoes in boiling water until skin starts to peel, 1 minute. Remove with slotted spoon and place in ice bath. Let rest until cool enough to handle, then remove peel and squeeze out seeds. Chop tomatoes and puree in blender or food processor.
2. In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook onion, bell pepper, carrot and garlic in oil and butter until onion starts to soften, 5 minutes. Pour in pureed tomatoes. Stir in basil, Italian seasoning, rosemary and wine. Place bay leaf in pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 2 hours. Stir in tomato paste and simmer an additional 2 hours. Discard bay leaf and serve.

I'll make Peach Cobbler using a recipe from last season which I found in The Produce Box's newsletter.

Delicious Peach Cobbler
4 cups of peeled, sliced peaches
2 cups sugar divided
1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups self rising flour (if you don't have any you can easily make some- I did using a google search: 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour mixed with 3/4 teaspoon each baking powder and salt)
1 1/2 cups milk
ground cinnamon, optional

-Preheat oven to 350
-Combine peaches, 1 cup of sugar & water in saucepan and mix well. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
-Put butter in a 3-qt. baking dish and place in oven to melt.
-Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if desired.
-Bake for approx. 1 hour
Can be served with whipped topping and/or ice cream. Refrigerate left overs. 

Wednesday, July 20-  No cooking tonight since it's Girls Night Out!

Thursday, July 21-  I have family coming into town.  We are doing a movie night with pizza and popcorn.  I'm sure we'll also snack on pieces of melon too.

Friday, July 22- Hamburgers and hotdogs served with corn on the cob.  I will also make a tortellini salad using some of the pepper from my box.  I am hoping to stop by Great Harvest Bread Company and pick up their hamburger rolls to serve the cheeseburgers on.
Tortellini Salad
Cheese Tortellini
Diced mozzarella Cheese
Diced Salami
Tomato
Diced Pepper
Italian Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
Italian Dressing

Cook tortellini per bag directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Add noodles to large bowl. Add cheese, salami, tomatoes and seasonings. Pour dressing over mixture. Mix well. Refrigerate until cold. Before serving, stir salad and add more dressing if needed.

Saturday, July 23-   If their is corn leftover I will use it in this Southwest Salad.  Otherwise I will buy some more fresh corn from DJ's Berry Patch Farm Stand to use in place of the canned corn in the recipe.

Southwest Chicken Salad
1 small can corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar and Monterey cheese blend
3 tomatoes, chopped
Chopped romaine lettuce
Catalina salad dressing
Southwest Style Chicken
Corn chips

In a large bowl, combine the corn, black beans, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. Add dressing and mix well. Cut up chicken and placed over salad. Add corn chips before serving. 

Sunday, July 24-  Pulled Pork Sandwiches made in my crock pot will be tonight's meal served on any of the left over rolls from Great Harvest. (if none are left I'll pick up rolls for the sandwiches)This recipe caught my eye because of the apricot preserves!

• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 2 1/2 lb boneless pork shoulder, trimmed
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• Kosher salt and pepper
• green-leaf lettuce
• rolls

1. In a 5- to 6-qt slow cooker, whisk together the apricot preserves and vinegar; stir in the onion.

2. Season the pork with the cumin and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper. Nestle the pork among the onions and cook, covered, until pork is tender and easily pulls apart, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours.

3. Using 2 forks, shred the pork and stir it into the cooking liquid. Form sandwiches with the rolls, lettuce and pork.

• Nutrition Facts
• Servings 4
• Calories 595
• Total Fat 15g
• Saturated Fat 5g
• Cholesterol 136mg
• Sodium 671mg
• Total Carbohydrates 63g
• Dietary Fiber 5g
• Protein 51g

Monday, July 25- Grilled Steak with peppers and onions along with homemade macaroni salad and sliced melon will be dinner tonight.  I will use the peppers from my box sauteed with sliced onion and olive oil.

Tuesday, July 26-  If there is left over pulled pork from Sunday night's meal, then I will use the pork for tacos.  Otherwise it will still be a Mexican flavored dinner with chicken fajitas.

June 29- July 5 A menu without a Box

This week I did not get a Produce Box.  Although each box was filled with delicious fresh produce, I still have much of the fruit I received last week and couldn't get through my remaining fruit AND the new fruit included in each box.  So I am left to my own devices to come up with this weeks meals.  I will stop off at both DJs Berry Patch's farm stand and the new farm shop in downtown Apex for some of the fresh produce required to make each meal.

Wednesday, June 29- Tonight I am thinking of making Chicken and Tortellini Salad which I found in my June issue of Southern Living.

Chicken and Tortellini Salad

• 2 (9-oz.) packages refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 cup frozen sweet peas, thawed
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

 

1. Prepare tortellini according to package directions.

2. Process olive oil and next 4 ingredients in a blender until smooth. Toss olive oil mixture with tortellini, chicken, and next 3 ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Southern Living
JUNE 2011

Thursday, June 30- Tonight's meal will be a recipe I discovered in the June issue of Family Circle, Pork Chops and Cola Sauce.  I will probably serve this along with corn on the cob.

Pork Chops and Cola Sauce  

Cola Sauce

• 1  can  (12 ounces) cola (not diet)
• 1  cup  ketchup
• 1/4  cup  cider vinegar
• 1/2  teaspoon  onion powder
• 1/2  teaspoon  garlic powder
• 1/2  teaspoon  black pepper 
•  
• Pork Chops
• 4  bone-in pork chops (about 6 ounces each)
• 1  pound  sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

Cola Sauce

1.Place cola, ketchup, vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper in a medium-size saucepan. Simmer until sauce is reduced to 1 cup, about 20 minutes. Take off heat and reserve.

Pork Chops

2.Heat gas grill to medium-high or coals in charcoal grill to medium-hot. Lightly coat grill rack with oil or cooking spray.

3.Grill pork chops and sweet potatoes 4 minutes per side; generously brush both sides with 3/4 cup of cola sauce and grill additional 2 minutes per side.

4.Serve pork chops and sweet potatoes with remaining sauce, if desired.

Friday, July 1-  I will wait until I go shopping at the grocery store to determine what seafood I will pick up to make tonight's meal.  The Italian Style Fish last time was excellent.  I may make that again or something new.

Saturday, July 2-  I had added the free sample to my chop meat last week and formed burger patties but never ate them.  I will defrost them for this evening's meal.  I will make a garden salad with our homegrown tomatoes and cucumbers and perhaps I will make Corn Pudding with any leftover corn from yesterday's meal.

Corn Pudding (recipe from Just Right Menus)

1 can (14 3/4 oz) corn, drained - - or 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fresh corn, 3-4 ears' worth
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. evaporated milk
1/4 c. sugar
2 1/2 TB flour
2 TB melted butter
salt to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350°. 
2. Combine all ingredients together. 
3. Pour into a greased pan/dish (about the size of a 10" round dish) 
4. Bake 350° for 50 - 60 minutes, or until brown on top and sides. If you're not sure if it's done, insert the tip of a butterknife into the center. If you can move the pudding over & see the bottom of the pan without the pudding running back over, it's done.

Sunday, July 3-  I know the grill will be involved in tonight's meal.  Just haven't completely decided on what I will grill.  I have some steaks in the freezer.  I most likely will grill a steak lightly seasoned with my grilling spice and serve it along with homemade macaroni salad garnished with fresh tomatoes from my garden.

Monday, July 4- I am contemplating making a different chili recipe I found in the June issue of Family Circle as well.  Although my husband may insist on the family chili recipe.   A crock pot meal may prove the simplest since we are heading out for firework watching this evening.  Below is Family Circle's chili recipe.

All American Chili

• 1 1/2  pounds  lean ground beef
• 2  onions, chopped
• 1  yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  cans  (15.5 ounces each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1  can  (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
• 1  can  (8 ounces) no-salt-added tomato sauce
• 1  cup  low-sodium chicken broth
• 3  tablespoons  chili powder
• 1  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1  teaspoon  dried oregano
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1  box  (8.5 ounces) corn bread mix, prepared according to package directions (optional)

1.Combine beef, onions, pepper, garlic, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, 2 tablespoons of the chili powder, and 1/2 teaspoon each of the cumin and the oregano in slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours.

2.Remove cover and stir in remaining 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon each cumin and oregano, and salt. Serve with corn bread, if desired.

Tuesday, July 5-  Will it be a left over night or maybe a steak on the grill, hmmmm.  I'll have to wait and see!

Menu August 25- August 31

This week's Produce Box contained 2 small Butternut Squashes, a personal Watermelon, 5 Peaches, 2 large Tomatoes, 1 Sprite Melon, a bottle of local Muscadine Grape Cider and 2.5 lbs. of Sweet Potatoes. My husband is eager to try the cider. If it's too sweet for our liking rather than use it as a drink, I'll use it in my cooking maybe to saute with or as a marinade.

Last week's menu was shaken up a bit. We treated our daughters to dinner out Saturday after a great day of soccer games. The butternut was used as the filling in homemade ravioli and the remaining puree was used in muffins.

The ravioli tasted like stuffed pumpkin pie pastas! The muffins didn't turn out quite like I had expected. They were very dense and not as sweet as I had hoped. I'm not sure if I would make them again.
As much as we love the marinated shrimp, again that meal had been scratched from our menu. There is always hope for this week! I kept the Mexican theme but in place of the Squash and Zucchini Burritos I made my delicious Chicken Enchiladas.

Chicken Enchiladas
1 lb chicken
4oz can of chopped green chile peppers
1 small onion
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 tsp chili powder
Small Can of Enchilada Sauce
1 package of large sized soft flour tortillas
1 package Mexican cheese (or cheddar)

1. Heat large skillet on med/high heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to coat pan
3. Cook chicken through about 8-10 minutes.
4. While chicken is cooking chop onion
5. Remove chicken to cutting board, add chopped onion to skillet and chili powder
6. While onion is cooking, dice up chicken
7. In a small bowl combine the can of cream of chicken soup, 1/2 cup of sour cream & 2 tablespoons of enchilada sauce. Mix and set aside.
8. Once onion is tender add chicken, green chilies, about 1/4 cup of sour cream mixture & enchilada sauce (add enough to add moisture to skillet about 1-3 tablespoons) Stir and Heat through.
9. In a 9 x 13 baking dish lightly cover bottom of pan with the sour cream mixture.
10. Add chicken mixture to tortillas and roll up, place seam side down in baking dish. (tortillas can be touching each other in dish)
11. Cover tortillas with remaining sour cream mixture and sprinkle with cheese
12. Bake in a 350 degree oven covered for 20-25 minutes then uncover and bake additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

**Meal can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated. When ready to bake add 15 minutes to bake time or until heated through.

In addition to the peaches from our Box, my husband brought home fresh peaches he got from a co-workers farm. With all these fresh peaches, I plan on making one entree and a dessert, Peach Pound Cake.

Wednesday- Simplicity tonight. It's Mac N Cheese with fresh fruit for the girls and a grilled cheese sandwich or leftovers for me tonight.

Thursday- Since it's soccer practice tonight, set right in the middle of mealtime, I think I'll make something quick and easy. Cheeseburgers with Tortellini Salad and watermelon from our Box is on the menu.

Tortellini Salad
Cheese Tortellini
Diced mozzarella Cheese
Diced Salami
Tomato
Diced Pepper
Italian Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
Italian Dressing

Cook tortellini per bag directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Add noodles to large bowl. Add cheese, salami, tomatoes and seasonings. Pour dressing over mixture. Mix well. Refrigerate until cold. Before serving, stir salad and add more dressing if needed.

Friday- I will make one of my favorite dishes, Sweet Potato Casserole, served with pork chops and Southern Green Beans.

Sweet Potato Casserole
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup margarine, melted
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and halved
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg white
1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in small bowl, stirring to form streusel. Set aside
3. Place potatoes in pot covered with water. Bring to boil, cover and simmer 30 min or until tender. Drain. Mash in large bowl.
4. Stir in 1 cup of streusel topping, sugar, vanilla, egg white and milk.
5. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with remaining streusel.
6. Bake for 45 min.
   

Southern Green Beans
4 slices bacon
1 large onion sliced
4 cans green beans
salt and black pepper

Fry bacon, remove bacon before it becomes crispy.
In bacon fat fry onion until tender.
Pour 4 cans of green beans into pot. If more water is needed add until green beans are covered.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add bacon.
Bring to boil then let Simmer for about 30-45 minutes. (add water as necessary)

Saturday- I have intentions to make from last week's menu, the Grilled Shrimp Skewers. The recipe actually calls for apple but we have always omitted it. The spicy yet sweet flavors of the marinade are to die for! This has quickly become one our favorite ways to prepare grilled shrimp. I will serve it with perhaps some cheese and broccoli couscous and corn on the cob bought at DJ's Berry Patch, if there is any left. Between Soccer games and Birthday parties I might find myself too tired to cook. So this is my "removal" meal. Since I have all the ingredients on hand and the shrimp is frozen I can always hold this meal for another night. I can also use the corn with tomorrow's meal if necessary.

Sunday- Peach and Honey Chicken served over rice. I found this recipe online but wanted to change it up some. I hope my changes result in a tasty and savory dish.

Peach and Honey Chicken
Generous turn of Olive Oil
1 clove minced garlic
4-6 chicken breasts
1/2 onion, sliced
5 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup water
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1-3 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons water
2 peaches, peeled and sliced

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook for a minute or two until the garlic softens and mellows.
2. Stir in the sliced onion. Cook and stir until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes, then stir in the honey, soy sauce, ginger, and 1 cup of water.
   
3. Add the chicken to the skillet, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, spread the lemon slices overtop, cover with a lid, and simmer until the chicken is tender and no longer pink, about 10-15 minutes.
   
4. Once the chicken has cooked, remove to a serving platter and keep warm. Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 teaspoons of water, and stir into the simmering sauce. Add the peaches, and chicken and cook until the sauce thickens and returns to a simmer. Pour sauce over chicken to serve.

Monday-With these cooler nights, I was inspired to make some soup (I'm longing for those cooler days of Fall.) I plan on making Butternut Chicken Vegetable Soup. I will be making some modifications to this recipe which will include substituting the kale with spinach, adding 2 cans of beans, using less broth and chicken broth and adding cut up chicken. Some crusty bread will go nicely with tonight's meal.

Tuesday- If the leftovers have not been devoured for lunches, then it's leftover night to make room for Wednesday's Box. But if the fridge is sparse, I am thinking a nice grilled steak with mashed potatoes and peas.