Friday, October 8, 2010

Menu planning after the market

I go to the Farmer's Market on Fridays, so I never make my weekly menu plans until after that trip. But today, I'm a bit stumped!

Here's what I've got to work with:

  • fresh unshelled cranberry beans
  • a hot daikon radish
  • a big bunch of green kale
  • lemon cucumbers
  • parsnips
  • tomatoes
  • tomatillos
  • a big rump roast
  • bacon
already in the house:

  • potatoes
  • onions
  • carrots
  • apples
  • 2 "patty pan" squash
  • 2 acorn squash
  • 2 super ripe avocado (is the plural of avocado just avocado? do you add an "e" and an "s"?)
  • gruyere cheese
  • "mexi mix" pre-grated cheese
  • staples, such as beans and rice, etc.
What on earth do I make with this stuff? I see a chili coming with the tomatillos and tomatoes, and I can sprinkle the grated cheese on that - maybe serve the ripe avocado with it too. But what about that daikon radish? The kale and the parsnip might go nicely together in a soup. I see the roast going in the slow cooker and having potatoes on the side with it. Maybe the radish could go in the roast pot, just to add a touch of exotic flavor to the roast? The cranberry beans could make an interesting dish with the acorn squash, bacon, and apples. I think I would roast the squash and apples and drizzle them with brown sugar and cook the beans lightly and mix them in, then cook bacon bits and stir those in too.

Typing this out has helped, already. I've got a few meals:

  • Chili
  • Kale and parsnip soup
  • Roast and potatoes
  • squash scramble

And I'm probably set with that, as there will be leftovers and it uses up most of the perishables. If you stuck with me through that ramble, thank you for your attention!

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