Have you ever had one of those weeks when you were so busy it felt like your head was spinning? That was me last week. My head felt like a bad carousel ride that you just couldn’t turn off. I apologize for missing Week 13’s email - I hope you found some great ways to use your farm box.
When I sit down to write these posts each week, I imagine you. Sitting in your favorite chair. Reading my words and getting excited about the things you will eat in the coming week. I see you chopping and sauteing vegetables, plating up at your kitchen counter, and sitting together as a family eating the beautiful food you’ve prepared. I can almost taste your hard work!
The last two weeks’ farm share are an incredible portrayal of the coming of fall. Peaches are gone. Apples have taken their place. Corn and tomatoes are on their way out. The last of the eggplant is shining through. The red peppers, like leaves on the trees, announce cooler days ahead. Our meals are shifting from salads to soups - so let’s get started with some of my favorites!
Summer Week 14: What We Brought Home
apples, broccoli, carrots (with greens), celery (with leaves), corn, eggplant, italian roasting peppers, kale, lettuce, onions, potatoes, red bell peppers, string beans, tomatoes
Meal Ideas for the Week
Lately my favorite meals have been the ones we throw together at the last minute. The sheet pan is your best friend for this kind of thing. Last night I tossed broccoli, potatoes, eggplant, and string beans with some olive oil and salt and pepper and roasted them until crispy. I threw some celery leaves, basil, mint, oregano and carrot greens in the food processor with a garlic clove, a little lemon juice and salt, then added olive oil until it was sauce-like. It was a no-recipe recipe and simply delightful.
This Baked Orzo with Eggplant and Mozzarella is a terrific way to use up end-of-season eggplant and tomatoes, along with fall favorites like celery and carrots.
This week, I’m using lots of veggies to make Roasted Vegetable Stock. Although you can pressure can it, I typically just store it in plastic containers (like these*) and freeze it. It makes a delicious base for soup and stew in the cold winter months.
Speaking of soup, I roasted the last of our garden’s tomatoes yesterday for this Roasted Tomato Soup. We like to serve it with cheddar cheese toast or grilled cheese sandwiches. It really is one of the very best parts of September.
The arrival of celery screams pot pie to me. My kids love chicken pot pie but never eat the chicken, so last week I tried this Veggie Pot Pie instead. We used green beans instead of frozen peas and I cheated and used Pillsbury pie crust instead of making my own. It was a hit and will definitely be something I make again!
We’re heading to New York this coming week so most of our produce this week will be stored for when we get back. One of the great things about Fall produce is it tends to have a little longer shelf life than Summer produce. However, I am very excited to make one more Grilled Pepper Panzanella before we take off!
I’ll be picking up my farm share on Sunday of next week, so you can expect Week 15 sometime Monday or Tuesday.
If you’re still with me after 20 weeks of CSA goodness, thank you! I hope I’ve given you lots of yummy ideas. This week I’d love to hear from you. Comment below and tell me ….
What are your favorite easy meals for fall?
*External links may be affiliate links, which means if you choose to buy something I get a tiny (very tiny) commission. I’d love to tell you that it helps support my writing and cooking habits but the truth is it’s so small it barely even feels like money. But, I have to share the disclaimer.