Shannon Phillips

Glurggh… Sam goes back to work tomorrow, and as if sensing an upcoming change to his all-cuddles-all-the-time routine, Davy has gotten harder to calm at night. I’m operating on not much sleep, and I’m frankly kind of terrified of being home alone with both the kids, so this week’s meal plan may prove to be a web of lies—it’s enitrely possible that Sam is coming home each night to find me rocking in a corner, and a pizza delivery menu on the counter.

Nonetheless, our veggie box last week held kale, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, five plums, two different kinds of cucumbers (the “normal” kind and the pale round kind), carrots, celery, zucchini, broccoli, two big yellow onions, and five yellow potatoes—so it would be good if we managed to eat some of that. We’ve already put a good dent in the strawberries, and I’m planning to use the plums tonight in the crisp that I didn’t make last week. Also tonight I’m making a salad to accompany some grilled lamb chops.

I think the kale is destined for yet another batch of bulgur salad (it makes a good lunch for me and Robin). I’ll get a chicken to roast tomorrow with the potatoes, and then Tuesday I’ll make soup from the leftovers (using some carrots, onion, and celery too).

On Wednesday maybe Sam can grill some sausages, and the zucchini can go into a pot of calabacitas (I’ll probably use fresh corn). Thursday we’ll have some kind of pasta dish with broccoli, and Friday, leftovers.

Yesterday’s veggie box held: a pint of cherry tomatoes (YAY! OUR FIRST TOMATOES OF THE SUMMER!), a bag of green beans, two pints of strawberries, a big bunch of basil, a cabbage, a bunch of carrots, four zucchinis, four plums (YUM), three onions, and a couple pounds of what look like Yukon Gold potatoes. And I am pleased as punch to add in the first fruits from my own backyard: growing wild in the jungle back there are blackberries and edible amaranth greens, and our neighbor has a fig tree that hangs over into our yard.

Tonight we’ll have hamburgers and green beans (I’ve been using this recipe for buffalo burgers—it works with grass-fed beef as well), with a plum and blackberry crisp for dessert (inspiration: Wendolonia). And tomorrow, a big pot of pesto. At some point I’ll also make a cherry tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad for our lunch.

I’m hoping to find some corned beef (the grocery store doesn’t always carry it) so that Tuesday we can have corned beef and cabbage with boiled potatoes and carrots. Then Wednesday we can make corned beef sandwiches. Thursday, I think some sort of grilled fish? And Friday will be for leftovers. The strawberries we’ve been eating with yogurt and granola for our breakfasts, and we may start adding figs if they ripen this week!

Today’s veggie box brought us: green beans, strawberries, lettuce, carrots, broccoli, celery, kale, red potatoes, and zucchini. Tonight we’re talking about Indian delivery, but tomorrow I’ll make a brown rice pilaf with broccoli and chicken.

Monday I’m thinking beef stroganoff and green beans. Tuesday, another round of the bulgur salad with kale, because it’s easy and healthy and Robin likes it. Wednesday, I want to try this recipe for cream of celery soup, although I’ll have to cut the quantities as there’s no way we’d eat six quarts of soup before it went off. I’ll make a salad too.

The zucchini fritters I made last night were tasty enough that I think we’d like to see another go-round, so Thursday I’ll do another batch, alongside boiled carrots and potatoes with butter and dill. I should post the recipe… Then Friday will be for leftovers. The strawberries we’ll eat with yogurt for our breakfasts, and with ice cream for our desserts.

CRUSTS OF STALE BREAD AND OUR OWN SALTY TEARS. I’m on strike until this baby gets out of me!

No, I guess we still need to eat. Plus we have a houseguest—Robin’s Pappy has come up to stay with us, in hopes of being able to watch Robin when I go into labor—if I go into labor, I’m starting to fear I might stay like this forever—and I wouldn’t want him to starve. Also, yesterday we picked up a box full of cherries, strawberries, baby spinach, lettuce, carrots, kale, celery, broccoli, and zucchini, so there’s that.

It’s the fourth of July today, so I guess we’ll grill some burgers. I’ll make glazed carrots to go on the side. And I’d do something fancy with the cherries except that we’ve already eaten most of them—and I bought a carrot cake two days ago, so we should really finish that instead. As the saying goes, “It’s as American as carrot cake!” Right?

Tomorrow we’ll have spaghetti carbonara (I bought some guanciale at the San Francisco Ferry Building) and a salad. Then starting Tuesday we can work on some of the leftovers from last week—I have a good amount of red beans and rice in the fridge, and also some baked chicken. At some point I’ll also make zucchini fritters. I’ll probably use the kale and the spinach in a batch of bulgur salad with salami and greens; that’ll be a good lunch at least.

So we’re loving our new CSA box from J&P Organics. For two-thirds the price we were paying in San Francisco, we’re getting equally hefty boxes stuffed with beautiful veggies. This morning our box held a pint of beautiful cherries (yesss), two pints of jewel-like strawberries, four oranges, a bunch of carrots, a head of lettuce, a bunch of kale (Ah…my old friend…), three smallish heads of broccoli, four avocados (NUM!), five zucchinis, and eight little red potatoes.

I also have a cauliflower left over from last week, so tonight we’ll have cauliflower cheese and a big salad incorporating the broccoli and carrots, and maybe some bacon. Tomorrow night I’ll make the avocados into guacamole, and we’ll pick up chips and a roasted chicken from the awesome Mexican supermarket a few blocks done, Mi Pueblo. Mi Pueblo really deserves its own post, with pictures, so I’ll leave it at that for now. Tomorrow I also want to make one of the pints of strawberries into strawberry bread, because strawberries go off really quickly and I’m not sure that even Robin can polish off two pints in two days. Other than that we’ll eat all the fruit straight.

Monday we’ll have apricot-glazed chicken breasts with steamed and buttered zucchini on the side. We generally have leftovers from the apricot chicken recipe, so on Tuesday I’ll put those into a quick-and-easy rice dish with some sauteed onion, and maybe some more of the zucchini. Then Wednesday I’ll use the potatoes and kale in a pot of caldo verde. Thursday, I don’t know, maybe Louisiana-style red beans and rice. Then Friday will be for leftovers.

I’m writing this up because I don’t want to write about my cat, who is very sick.

Tonight: seared bay scallops with bacon succotash
Tomorrow: roast chicken with salad
Wednesday: chicken salad sandwiches, assuming there’s leftover chicken (I also need to make stock from the bones)
Thursday: Pasta with chard and cream sauce
Friday: Swedish meatballs (Robin loved these so much at Ikea that Nonna bought me the Ikea recipe book!)

Most of the vegetables were bought at the farmer’s market over the weekend. I also bought about a pound of zucchini, so I have to remember to saute those up for lunch at some point. Friday will be our first CSA box from J&P Organics, so I’m looking forward to that!

So! Now that I have a fridge, and most of my cookware unpacked, I can start to re-establish my nightly cooking routine. Yesterday we went to the Laurel Farmer’s Market, which is teeny-tiny. (Oakland does have bigger farmer’s markets, but this one is closest to us). Literally the Laurel Farmer’s Market consists of two stalls. But! One of them is hosted by J&P Organics, which had some lovely produce out: I bought raspberries, zucchini, fresh onions, and new potatoes, and I’m kicking myself for not also picking up a bunch of carrots.

J&P Organics is a small family farm with a great story. Pablo, Florencia, and their children started off leasing a bit of land and growing raspberries and flowers. Unfortunately, when the irrigation system that they shared with other farmers broke, nobody had the means to fix it “and their dreams had to be put on hold.” However! Pablo and Florencia still managed to send their children to college, and their son JP majored in ag science, where he learned about organic farming methods and about the programs available to help small-scale organic farmers get established. He encouraged his parents to lease another bit of land and try again, and this time he took over the marketing of their produce, focusing on farmer’s markets, local restaurants, a highway produce stand, and CSA boxes. They’re doing well and hope to be able to buy their own farm soon.

Their CSA boxes sound great. It’s about ten bucks cheaper than the box I was getting from Capay Valley (which is a much bigger operation), and includes an option for fresh eggs and flowers. I think we’re going to sign up, since it’ll be a while before I get my own garden established—and I’d probably appreciate more variety even once I do start harvesting my own veggies.

Anyway, this week I’m making a meal plan for the first time since we moved in. Tonight Nonna and Pappy are here to help celebrate my birthday—I’m going to make tamale pie and sour cherry cobbler. Tomorrow I’ll use the zucchini and onions I bought at the market in a fritatta, along with a spinach salad. Wednesday I’m going to make “farmer’s soup” from a dried bean mix I picked up at Whole Foods, and I’ll make a batch of cheesy croutons to go on top. Wednesday we’ll have pasta with sausage ragu; Thursday, grilled cheese sandwiches, probably with soup or salad on the side; and Friday, leftovers. Saturday we’ll go back to the market and I’ll make a new plan for the week ahead.

Well, this is our last veggie box for a while: I called up and put our account on indefinite hiatus. Capay Farms does deliver to Oakland, but there’s a weekly farmer’s market on Laurel, not far from our house, that I want to support. And I’ll be putting in my own backyard garden too.

In the Last Veggie Box we got: snap peas, chard, asparagus, radishes, carrots, spring onions, green garlic, baby bok choy, and new potatoes. There’s no fruit in the box this week, but that’s all right: the locally-grown strawberries are in at the store, so I’ve been buying pint after pint. Robin is delighted—he can plow through almost an entire pint all by himself, over the course of an afternoon. I think it makes a nice change from kiwis.

Tonight we’re polishing off the last of our leftovers, but tomorrow I’ll made a Niçoise salad using the radishes, asparagus, and potatoes, as well as eggs and olives and tuna. And Friday I’ll do a hot-and-sour soup with the bok choy. Saturday is cook’s night off. Sunday I’m going to satisfy a recent craving I’ve been having for pastitsio: I’ll get to use the spring onions and the green garlic, as well as some more of our wonderful local lamb. Then Monday we’ll be virtuous and healthful, and do a tofu, carrot and snap pea stir-fry, over brown rice of course; and Tuesday will be for leftovers as usual.

This week in our veggie box we got: a big bunch of chard, a smaller bunch of red mustard greens, three stalks of green garlic and three spring onions, two bunches of skinny new carrots, a very small bunch of radishes, two pounds of La Ratte fingerling potatoes, and a couple of kiwis.

I’m most excited by the mustard greens (love mustard greens) so tonight I want to do a traditional Southern slow-cooked mess of greens and pork and onions, with boiled potatoes and carrots to go with it.

Tomorrow I have to go out to the house to meet with our contractor, so I think dinner might be takeout, but Saturday I’ll stir-fry the snap peas and green garlic with a little beef, and maybe another vegetable like a red bell pepper. And because stir-fries are healthy and virtuous, then I’ll feel okay about making this much-less-virtuous recipe for leek and chard tart on Sunday. Except instead of the leeks, I’ll probably use the shallots left over from last week.

That will leave only the radishes for Monday, so I guess on Monday we’re having salad, and maybe pasta or fish or something. Then Tuesday will be for leftovers as usual.

Today our veggie box brought us: lettuce, carrots, asparagus, red & white spring onions, two huge leeks, a bunch of green garlic, five shallots, three kiwis, and about a pound of red potatoes.

It’s another rainy day, and Sam has a stubbornly lingering cold, so I think tonight I’ll make a creamy soup out of the potatoes, leeks, and green garlic, probably with some crispy bacon for garnish. I’ll post my recipe if it comes out well. That’ll use up the chicken stock I have in the freezer, so I’ll get a chicken and roast it for tomorrow night’s dinner, and make more stock from the carcass. We’ll have a garden salad with the chicken.

Friday evening we’re driving to Martinez to buy a new couch from a lady on Craigslist, so I think we’ll probably eat out afterwards. And Saturday is gaming day. But Sunday we can have steaks and asparagus, and Monday I want to try incorporating the spring onions into a new recipe for “pasta with pork ribs”: it looks like a fairly regular tomato-based meat sauce, except with spareribs instead of ground beef. Then Tuesday will be for leftovers as usual. We’ll have the shallots left over, but those will keep. It’ll be an unusual week in that we’ll have meat every night, instead of just a few nights as we usually do, but I think Sam could use the protein to help kick this cold.