Day 1: Chopped salad with quinoa, sweet potatoes, and apples
Day 2: Lemon chicken with creamy mushroom sauce
Day 3: Homemade pizza, Coleslaw
Day 4: Baked salmon with pesto (from frozen supply), Frozen Fruit smoothie
Day 5: Black bean soup, Corn muffins (from frozen supply)
Day 6: Ratatouille (from frozen supply)
Day 7: Quiche with winter vegetables
Notes: Summer Recipes in Winter
You may have noticed that I am serving coleslaw with our weekly pizza this week. Most people associate coleslaw with summer barbecues and Fourth of July celebrations, but this crisp salad can actually be made throughout the year. Now typically we pair pizza with a fresh green salad, but that is pretty tough to do in the winter and still use local, seasonal vegetables. So this week I thought I would share a couple of ideas for repurposing recipes that are traditionally thought of as summer eats, but truly can be eaten throughout the year.
The first recipe is coleslaw. Cabbage is in the brassica family. It grows in summer and fall and can tolerate some cooler temperatures, but not frost, so it usually stops growing by the time the first frost sets in. However, because the leaves are so tightly packed, it actually can be stored for several months. Both red and green cabbage make an excellent coleslaw salad, especially when combined with carrots, another storage vegetable. I finish off my coleslaw with my favorite mayo (Primal Kitchen), some lime juice (trust me), and a dash of hot sauce. So good!
The next recipe that you usually see in summer is potato salad. But, this salad is excellent to make at all different times of the year since potatoes store really well through the winter. Just change your herbs from fresh to dried and you can still get a flavor punch from this Herb Potato Salad.
Quiche is another recipe that works well year round. Usually quiche is thought of as a brunch food for Mother’s Day or other celebration, filled with peppers, tomatoes, or other fresh veggies. However, since the base is a custard made with eggs, you really can add whatever vegetables you desire. Winter vegetables that work well are leeks, kale, shredded carrots, or herbs from an indoor garden. If you are using more tough veggies, like carrots, be sure to sauté prior to placing in your pie crust so that they are softened as they won’t cook fully in the oven.
So there you have it, a couple ideas for repurposing summer recipes for winter. If you have a favorite summer recipe that can be adapted for winter I would love to hear about it! Feel free to share in the comments.
