August 10 weekly menu | summer table

Farm Fresh

cabbage, carrots, gourmet greens, green beans, lettuce, potatoes, red onion, peppers, spinach, summer squash, sweet onion, tomatoes

What’s for Dinner?

With all of this farm fresh variety, the sky’s the limit come mealtime. I’ve got Mexican, summer sammies, grilled pizza, salad nights, and grill fests on my mind. Head to any of the dozens of farmer’s markets to get your bounty!

Wednesday –  south of the border (still!)

veggie & black bean enchiladas (Cookies & Kate)
tri color slaw with lime dressing (The Kitchn)

Thursday –  cream-of-the-crop summer sammie

tomato, mozzarella, & basil paninis (Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa at Home)

Friday – burgers & fries

shake shack burgers (Deb Perleman, The Smitten Kitchen)
garlic roasted potatoes (Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Parties!)
no mayo slaw (Mark Bittman)

Saturday –  grilled pizza fest

fresh ricotta and red onion pizza (Deb Perleman, Smitten Kitchen)
gourmet greens salad

Sunday – step aside, starkist

seared albacore tuna salad (Sunset)
baguette

Monday – mid-summer grill fest

grilled new potato + green bean salad (Field of Greens)
grilled zucchini (Cooking Light)
grilled nw salmon

Tuesday – how sweet it is!

baked onion rings (Martha Stewart)
quinoa garden cakes (Whole Foods Market)
salad with peaches & feta (Serious Eats)

____________________________________________________

Wednesday – south of the border (still!)

veggie & black bean enchiladas (Cookies & Kate)
tri color slaw with lime dressing (The Kitchn)

We don’t seem to ever tire of Mexican. I was inspired by the cabbage, peppers, and onions I received this week, but also by the leftover sauce from last week’s tomatillos. What a gorgeous dinner this will make! Deep green enchiladas, a bright and vibrant slaw with green cabbage & cilantro, orange carrots, and chopped red onion. I’ll alter the ingredients of the slaw just a bit, and use what I’ve got. With pre-made sauce, the enchiladas are simply a matter of picking and choosing your favorite veggies and roasting them up. I chose carrots, zucchini, peppers, and onions, roasting in a hot oven and stirring frequently until golden brown. Then wrap and roll with beans of your choice, dousing with cheese and sauce before baking.

Thursday – cream-of-the-crop summer sammie

tomato, mozzarella, & basil paninis (Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa at Home)

Sammie nights continue, this week with an all-time favorite. With tomatoes just plucked from the vine, and fresh basil from the pot, there’s really nothing like this quintessential summertime sandwich. You don’t need a panini press, and you don’t need pesto sauce.  Just a skillet and any form of basil you like – I often just layer the whole leaves on there. Whatever bread you love and will hold together on a skillet or press is great. These are also wonderful with thinly sliced prosciutto or chicken.

Friday –   burger & fries

shake shack burgers (Deb Perleman, The Smitten Kitchen)
garlic roasted potatoes (Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Parties!)
no mayo slaw (Mark Bittman)

Shake Shack, the famous New York-based burger chain, originally a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park, is now a fixture all up and down the East coast. It’s billed as a modern day classic roadside burger stand. Our at-home version have become a favorite!  It’s a smash-style burger, starting out as a tall plump puck, then squished nearly flat before caramelizing to a perfect, salty, crisp. Served with buttered, browned potato roll buns, with a special sauce?!? The do-it-at-home “recipe” is simple; I will indeed take an extra five minutes for the special sauce. Other toppings will include farm fresh lettuce and sliced tomatoes, grilled onions, cheese of choice and pickles. The roasted potatoes are a no-brainer, “french fry” stand-in.  Not quite, but as a home (healthier) version, pretty darned good. Homemade milkshakes anyone?

Saturday –  grilled pizza fest

fresh ricotta and red onion pizza (Deb Perleman, Smitten Kitchen)
gourmet greens salad

Super fun, interactive, and delicious way to use those veggies – Pizza Night!
Let this prior post be your inspiration and step-by-step instructional for pizza making. Go with the traditional, oven-baked version, or for some summer fun, grill up the pizzas outside. This Serious Eats guide to grilled pizza seems pretty fool proof, so I’ll stick with that. For a simpler version, grab your dough from Hot Lips, New Seasons, or nearly any favorite pizza place. This week, I couldn’t resist this tangy, sweet, & just a little bit salty and spicy, red onion “marmalade” pizza from Smitten Kitchen.  There is no way I’d ever embark on a fresh ricotta-making adventure; my store-bought tub will do just fine. I will gladly, however, spend a few minutes making this onion marmalade, using a ton of my farm fresh red onions (you could also do a mixture of onion types). You caramelize them with some brown sugar and balsamic vinegar until the mixture is thick and has an almost spreadable quality to it. This becomes the “sauce”, which is then dolloped with fresh ricotta and topped with thinly-sliced prosciutto…sounds amazing to me! If you’re making two pizzas, double this recipe. And since I’m grilling them, I’ll make more of an individual-sized, oblong pizza for ease of on and off the grill. Add a simple salad with some farm fresh greens, drizzled lightly with high quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper.  A summer treat, indeed!

winter squash and wild mushroom
potato and rosemary
leek, crimini mushroom, and prosciutto
portabella mushroom & roasted red pepper
shitake mushroom
leek, sundried tomato, and goat cheese
caramelized leek, mushroom and Italian sausage pizza
pizza with kale raab, leeks, and olives 
pizza with fennel sausage, braising greens and rosemary
dandelion greens, Italian sausage, and fontina cheese pizza
grilled pizza with kale, mushroom, & sausage
shaved asparagus & parmesan pizza
leek, chard, & corn flatbread
kale, sundried tomato, & feta pizza
pizza with green garlic & arugula
pizza bianca with goat cheese & chard
roasted beet pizza
spinach and chive pizza
summer squash, basil & sun dried tomato pizza

Sunday – step aside, starkist

seared albacore tuna salad (Sunset)
baguette

More fish, more fish, more fish.  I’m always trying.  This week, it was the first I’d seen of the west coast albacore tuna harvest. Following my summer lot-of-salads-for-supper mission, this combines the best of both! My mixed gourmet greens will be perfect in forming the base of this hearty main-course salad, and it’s a wonderful use for my sweet onion as well. My tuna loin will be cooked on the outdoor grill, while we’re munching away on the fresh Frenchie baguette.

Monday –  mid-summer grill fest

grilled new potato salad (Field of Greens)
grilled zucchini (Cooking Light)
grilled nw salmon

I was so happy to see potatoes and green beans on my CSA list this week – this grilled potato salad is just a summer must! A friend brought it to a picnic years ago; it’s become a family favorite. The original version of this recipe calls for roasting the potatoes until they are tender, and then grilling them, maybe in foil packets or on skewers. I often don’t have time for this grilling part, but just roast them to a golden crispiness. The grilling does add a really nice touch, though. For the vinegar, any will do, but I especially like champagne. Throw in a half cup or so of slivered kalamata olives for a crowd-pleasing addition. I’ll add some grilled zucchini to the dinner as well. With just olive oil, salt and pepper, it’s a hit every time! I often attempt to cut it long-ways (with mixed success – hard to get those slices uniform thickness!) for less labor-intensive flipping, less falling through the grill, and a really pretty presentation! The Cooking Light suggestions to fancy it up are nice; I also sometimes drizzle a bit of good balsamic vinegar after cooking. Grill up some fresh Pacific Northwest salmon, and your meal is complete. Just lightly brush with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a sprinkling of fresh herbs after cooking.

Tuesday – how sweet it is!

baked onion rings (Martha Stewart)
quinoa garden cakes (Whole Foods Market)
salad with peaches & feta (Serious Eats)

Who doesn’t love a good old fashioned deep fried onion rings?!? I for one make sure to visit Burgerville during their summer month or two of showcasing the local Walla Walla sweets, fried to golden (gargantuan) perfection. It’s somehow different, and less guilt-inducing, if I don’t actually have to witness that deep fryer! In fact, I often feel so blissfully unaware, I order them with a summer berry shake! At home, I’m going to make these baked onion rings instead. It’s a good tip to separate the dry mixture into a few different bowls, so you don’t end up with a gloppy mess that you’re attempting to coat onions in. Martha calls for a mixture of flour and crushed cornflakes in which to dredge the rings – it makes a nice crunch. You could also use any combination of flour, bread crumbs, or panko (Japanese style bread crumbs). I’ll also whip up these quinoa garden cakes. With grated carrots, zucchini, and spinach, they are a perfect potpourri weeknight meal. Use what you’ve got in the veggie drawer! I’ll use a cilantro (not dill) greek yogurt combination as the topper. Add a quick green salad with some long-awaited plump, juicy peaches & farmer’s market cheese of choice.

“What the Kale?!?”

Don’t panic and get out the compost bin if all of the sudden you have a giant veggie delivery coming your way, and you still have a fridge full.  Here are a few suggestions for preserving the bounty!  (Soups and stews freeze wonderfully in those gallon zip lock freezer bags.)

• roasted tomato soup (Food Network)
• spicy summer squash soup (Alice Waters, The Art of Simple Food)