August 17- August 23

This week's Produce Box consisted of: 

• Chambourcin Grapes
• Mixed Bell or sweet Peppers
• Peaches
• Cucumbers
• Mountaintop Vine-ripe tomatoes
• Spaghetti Squash

The grapes will be eaten as snacks and in school lunches.  The peaches will also be snacked on and I may make a Peach Pound Cake. 

Wednesday, August 17-  Breakfast for dinner tonight.  I'll dice up some of the pepper and tomato to add to my egg scramble or omelet.

Thursday, August 18-  We'll grill Peach Pork Chops and serve them with Garlic Grilled Rosemary Potatoes (using the red potatoes from last weeks Box)

Simple Peach Sauce

• 1/2 cup water
• 1-2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup sliced peeled fresh peaches

1. In a saucepan, bring water, sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon to a boil; boil for 1 minute. Add peaches. Bring to a boil; boil another 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Serve warm over pork chops. 

 

Garlic Grilled Rosemary Potatoes- my own original recipe
10 Red Potatoes
3-4 cloves minced Garlic
1/2-1 onion thinly sliced
Rosemary
Olive Oil

• Boil potatoes until tender.  Rinse under cold water
• Quarter potatoes and place in lightly sprayed heavy duty foil packet
• Add sliced onions and Sprinkle with rosemary and the minced garlic
• Drizzle with olive oil
• Seal packet and place on preheated grill
• Grill for about 10 minutes on each side 

Friday, August 19- Tonight I will use the spaghetti squash and pepper from my Box to make our meal.  I'll also serve this meal along with a side salad using my tomato and cucumber from my Box.

Baked Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Style- (reprinted from Allrecipes.com with my additions)

• 1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/2 to 1 bell pepper diced
• 1lb of ground Italian sausage (chop meat may be substituted)
• 2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 cube chicken bouillon
• black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with a thin layer of cooking spray. Place squash halves cut side down on the baking sheet.
2. Bake squash 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife can be easily inserted. Remove from oven, and cool.
3. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a pan. Over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic until golden brown. Add sausage and cook til no longer pink (you may wish to drain some of the fat out of the pan).  Stir in tomatoes, basil, bouillon cube, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until you have a medium thick sauce.
4. Remove squash strands with a fork. In a baking dish, layer with the sauce, a layer of spaghetti squash strands and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Top with Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until Parmesan cheese melts. 

Saturday, August 20-  We'll grill Haitian Voodoo Sticks and serve them in tortillas with sour cream and fresh diced tomato from my Box.  On the skewers I'll add cut onion and cut peppers, from my Box.  A side salad will round out this meal.  These beef kabobs are spicy but delicious.  However, the heat is too much for my girls.  

Sunday, August 21-  Fish is this evening main course.  I made this recipe on the grill before in foil packets and felt it was "too fishy" for my palette.  So I have altered the recipe and will bake it tonight.  I'll serve the fish with couscous and green beans (perhaps fresh green beans if I can find them at the farmer's market).

Easy Tilapia with Wine and Tomato  WW Points: 6

* 4 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia

* salt and pepper to taste

* olive oil

* 4 cloves garlic, pressed

* 4 fresh basil leaves, chopped (can substitute dried)

* 1-2 large tomato, chopped

* 1 cup white wine

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Place the tilapia fillets side by side in a lightly sprayed baking dish. Season each one with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil over the top of each piece of fish, and sprinkle garlic, basil and tomato. Pour the wine over everything.

3. Place in preheated oven, and cook for 15-25 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Monday, August 22- Tonight is my youngest daughter's first soccer practice.  It's of course smack in the middle of our family dinnertime.  So the girls will eat earlier and after practice the adults will have dinner.  Since we are eating in shifts, the girls will have something easy and simple.  The adults will have hamburgers and homemade macaroni salad.

Tuesday, August 23- Tonight will be marked for leftovers.  Should none exist it will be pasta and meatballs.

August 4-August 10 Menu

My box arrived today!

This weeks box includes: 2 Eggplants, 2 large Field Tomatoes, 1/2 lb. of Garlic Bulbs, a personal Watermelon, Red Cabbage, Spaghetti Squash and 4 ears of Corn.

I also took a big leap and ordered 20 lbs. of Roma Tomatoes in anticipation of making homemade Tomato Sauce to freeze. Although a big undertaking, I am looking forward to having homemade sauce the next time I make an Italian meal rather than grabbing a store bought jar. I have adapted the Tomato Sauce to my family's preferences: shredded carrot, omit 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.

Wednesday- Today is breakfast for dinner. It's just me and the girls plus I making my vat of Tomato Sauce. I have found that the sauce could actually be doubled on the tomato and the rest of the ratios do not have to be adjusted since it is a very flavorful and hearty sauce. I cooked up about 40 tomatoes, about 3/4 of my box. I might make more sauce early next week or better yet maybe some more fresh salsa!

Thursday- I will be entertaining family this weekend. My brother and sister-in-law love Eggplant Parmesan. Therefore, I will be making my Eggplant Parmesan with the 2 eggplants and homemade Tomato Sauce (which I cooked up with last weeks Roma tomatoes and froze). A fresh garden salad, with my home grown cucumbers and tomato from my Produce Box, and a loaf of bread (maybe from Great Harvest Bread Company) will round out dinner nicely. Of course a good bottle or 2 of a Cabernet would put the meal over the top!

Friday- My mother and I will treat ourselves to take out while the rest of my visiting guests enjoy the Beer, Bourbon and BBQ festival.

Saturday- I am cooking for quite a crowd tonight. More family is arriving and we will dine on Grilled Apricot-Glazed Pork Chops, German Red Cabbage and Garlic Grilled Rosemary Potatoes (I purchased the potatoes at DJ's Berry Patch and of course used the fresh garlic from my Produce Box).
Garlic Grilled Rosemary Potatoes- my own original recipe
10 Red Potatoes
3-4 cloves minced Garlic
1/2-1 onion thinly sliced
Rosemary
Olive Oil

Boil potatoes until tender
Rinse under cold water
Quarter potatoes and place in lightly sprayed heavy duty foil packet
Add sliced onions
Sprinkle with Rosemary and the minced garlic
Drizzle with olive oil
Seal packet and place on preheated grill
Grill for about 10 minutes on each side

I got this awesome German Red Cabbage recipe from a neighbor.
Yield: 12 servings

1 medium sized head red cabbage, cored and sliced thin
1 medium yellow onion, sliced thin
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled cored and grated
1 cup unsweetened apple pure juice (not concentrate)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup red wine vinegar
kosher or sea salt & pepper
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
olive oil
Cut red cabbage into quarters and cut out the core and slice thin
Peel onion, cut in half and slice thin
Grate apple
In a dutch oven, add about 1 generous turn of the pan of oil and heat.
Cook onions 2–3 minutes and add the red cabbage; braise the cabbage until just tender 3–5 minutes.
Season with kosher salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
Add ground cloves, allspice and nutmeg.
Add caraway seed, if desired.
Add the brown sugar, apples, apple juice and vinegar.
Cover and simmer until the cabbage is cooked and tender—do not boil or overcook.
Cooking time is about 30 minutes. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Sunday- Depending on when my company leaves will be the determining factor as to dinner Sunday night. It will be an earlier dinner, so I am thinking of something on the simpler side. Grilled steaks with the left over cabbage and fresh corn on the cob might be the best option.

Monday- I plan on making Spaghetti Squash Lasagna. After cooking the squash, I'll probably do it again in the microwave, scoop out the squash. In a separate bowl mix together ricotta cheese, Italian seasonings and sauce (of course from my vat I made Wednesday). In a baking dish coat the bottom with some tomato sauce, then layer with squash, cheese mixture, either pan fried loose sausage or chop meat and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers ending with squash. Finally spread sauce over top and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake until warmed through and cheese is melted (about 30-45 minutes). I'll serve this with a loaf of bread.

Tuesday- By this point I am assuming there will be a decent amount of leftovers. Then again with a house full of guests over the weekend it could all be gone now. If we have leftovers then I have dinner. If not I'll have to throw something together.