The last several weeks have been full of fun activities and lots of visitors. When I went to the farm yesterday to pick up my share, I allowed myself to sit in an old worn adirondack chair in the backyard and just soak in the sunshine and the scenery. As cars flew by on the road just in front of the farmstand, a field sparrow landed right next to my feet and I was filled with an overwhelming sense of peace and gratitude for this space. In a world that feels hectic, this farm is a piece of home for us here, and I’m forever grateful.
It’s typically around the end of July that I find myself in the kitchen nonstop, full of joy in my heart and flour on my butt. We had family visiting last week, so we ate out more than usual and I have a good chunk of last week’s share still hanging out in my fridge. We have a new fridge coming on Thursday, so my challenge for this week is to clear as much out as possible before then. This morning I’ve already tackled Blueberry Sourdough Muffins, Charred Corn Crepes, and Chocolate Zucchini Cake.
You’ll notice I didn’t include any preserving notes this week. I’ll include a big section on preserving next week, to help you store all that squash and cucumber that I know is beginning to roll in. For now, I hope you’ll spend the week enjoying the food on your counters. I know I am!
Summer Week 5: What’s in Season
carrots (with greens), zucchini, yellow squash, pattypan squash, kale, lettuce, pickling cucumbers, salad cucumbers, cauliflower, corn, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, beets
Meal Ideas for the Week
Breakfasts
I’m going to try out these Lemon squash muffins this week. I think they’d be a great quick breakfast or a snack to go.
I used some blueberries and some throwaway sourdough starter to make these Blueberry Sourdough Muffins this morning. I love the addition of cornmeal and these will be great to pop into kiddo lunchboxes.
We also made these Charred Corn Crepes this morning and I have to say they are my new favorite crepe recipe. I may have them every Saturday between now and the end of corn season. I filled one with zucchini butter and leftover charred corn from last night’s tacos. David put eggs and cheese in his. The girls had nutella in theirs. You really can’t go wrong with anything in a crepe.
Lunches
We ate out entirely too much last week so the lettuce in my fridge is multiplying. It’s basically going to be nothing but salad for lunch this week. And considering we got 26 cucumbers in yesterday’s pickup, there won’t be a meal without a cucumber on the side this week. Maybe I’ll make some tiny cucumber sandwiches and throw a tea party!
I do want to make this Corn Bacon Hash for Sunday brunch after church tomorrow while we still have a few ears of fresh corn in the fridge.
Dinners
I made very few of the meals I had planned for last week, which made my meal planning super easy for this week. Tonight we’re having this Grilled Chicken Salad with Tarragon. I made the dressing and pesto weeks ago when I had fresh tarragon and parsley and threw it in the freezer. I’m so excited to finally eat it tonight.
Tomorrow we have vegetarian friends coming over, so I’m going to make Buffalo Cauliflower and Carrot Fries. The likelihood of the kids eating that is very small, so I’m going to make these zucchini fritters too.
Our week is busy with kid activities, so I’m trying to plan fast and easy meals. This Spaghetti with Zucchini Butter looks fantastic, and super easy to throw together quickly. I’ll spend some time tomorrow making pasta with my carrot greens.
Sheet pan meals have become one of my favorite things, so I think I’ll try this Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots.
Pattypan squash is perfect for stuffing. These Chicken Enchilada Squash look so good. And since I haven’t made this Herb-Squash Pasta Bake yet, I’ll put it on the plan for later in the week.
Snacks & Treats
I made a double batch of this Zucchini Chocolate Cake. One to eat now, and one to put in the freezer for winter. It is a favorite, and I don’t think I can ever have too much of it.
I want to try this Carrot Hummus this week and see if my kids will eat it the way they eat store-bought hummus. I have tried hummus recipes before but so far, they only like what we buy at the store.
This radish dip is one of my favorite snacks of all time. I half the amount of garlic and add some basil. We have some friends coming this afternoon and will put it out with a veggie plate and some crackers.
Happy summer eating my friends!