Farm Fresh

beets, carrots, cauliflower, collard greens, cucumbers, escarole, kale, mushrooms, parsley, peppers, winter squash

What’s for Dinner?

What an exciting week in my food world! The giant Thanksgiving feast is right around the corner, and it’s the first week of my winter CSA! I had a lovely spring and summer enjoying Gathering Together Farm’s CSA bounty. As with most farms, they take a long winter’s nap, starting sometime in November. But there’s really no reason for these winter months (the “dark months”…) to bring emptiness, disappointment, or bewilderment to your meal planning efforts. Against popular thought, the Northwest does grow amazing and abundant produce in the winter and early spring months! AND, there’s a CSA that accumulates this wealth, and delivers it right to my doorstep! I am a happy Hood River Organic (HRO) CSA member…check them out. And speaking of winter abundance, check out what the Portland Farmers Market has going on this season. The perfect chilly-weather Saturday – indulge in some steaming coffee and scrumptious farm fare, peruse the vendors to pick up your week’s dinner delights, then hit a movie at Fox Tower, a PAM exhibit, or some Nordstrom shopping!

Time to enlist my (somewhat) trusty kitchen helpers, and see where our inspiration and energy take us this week. Starting with the pie, of course.

Friday – pizza night

roasted cauliflower & mushroom pizza (Bev Cooks)
beet salad with goat cheese & walnuts (Jennifer Segal, Serious Eats)

Saturday – steak & collards + “pasta”

sautéed collard greens with red pepper (Food Network)
spaghetti squash with garlic & parmesan (Steamy Kitchen)
grilled new york steak

Sun – magical curry

beet and beef curry (Salon)
basmati rice/naan

Monday – pad thai, squash style

spaghetti squash pad thai (Shared Appetite)

Tuesday – pies on the mind

honey glazed carrots (Food Network)
salmon cakes

Wednesday –  pre-feast soup night 

roasted butternut squash and pear soup (The Daily Green)
escarole, orzo, & meatball soup (Deb Perleman, The Smitten Kitchen)
crusty bread

Thursday –  the feast, veggie style

hors d’ oeuvres
beet spread with goat cheese & hazelnuts (Yotam Ottolenghi)

salad
northwest autumn kale salad (Simply Classic, Seattle Junior League)

veggie sides
brown sugar glazed squash with marshmallows (Bon Appetit)
sausage & mushroom stuffing (Diane Morgan)
rustic garlic & shallot mashed potatoes (Bon Appetit)
spiced cranberry sauce (The Splendid Table)

dessert
pumpkin pie (Alice Waters, The Art of Simple Food)
perfect pecan pie (Cook’s Illustrated
simplest apple tart (Alice Waters)

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