Day 1: Summer salad with garden tomatoes
Day 2: Zucchini and corn fritters, Watermelon slices
Day 3: Homemade pizza with banana peppers, Kohlrabi sticks
Day 4: Chicken Caesar salad
Day 5: Veggie fajitas with bell peppers, and onions
Day 6: Linguini topped with sautéed eggplant and zucchini
Day 7: Chili with corn and jalapenos
Notes: Summer Heat
Not to be outdone by the hot July weather, spicy peppers made their debut in my farm share this week! We got both banana pepper and jalapeno. I like to use these to spice up my pizza and chili. Now, I am really lucky to have kids that are not all that picky, but one thing they all agree on is that they do not like spicy foods. I’m determined to get them accustomed to it though. I don’t want them missing out on awesome Thai food! So to slowly introduce them to some summer heat, I remove all the seeds and ribs from the peppers, finely dice, and add in small amounts. We’ll get there someday.
A word of caution: when you are working with raw, spicy peppers, you may want to wear gloves. And avoid touching your eyes at all costs!!
Plastic Free July Part 5: Throughout this month I have been providing tips to avoid plastic products. I’ve tried to go beyond the usual suspects like straws, water bottles, and grocery bags (although I did review its cousin, the produce bag – this blog focuses a lot on produce after all!). The truth is, our world is drowning in plastic and really you could choose any product and find something made or packaged in a more sustainable material.
So that’s what I want to leave you with this last week of Plastic Free July. You don’t have to obsess about this, like I tend to do, but keep it in the back of your mind when you are eating out, shopping, cleaning your home, or trying a new personal care item, take a moment and see if there is a non-plastic alternative. It doesn’t even have to be something you buy new. Using what you have and secondhand shopping are excellent ways to reduce your plastic footprint. That really is the overall goal. I am so done supporting the oil companies that pollute our environment every step of the way (yes, plastic is made from oil). Break free – even the small wins feel great!
CSA Breakdown: For those of you also using Crossroads Community Farm, here is a breakdown of how I will use each piece of produce this week. See the first CSA post from this season for details of how I structure the plans.
Kohlrabi (1.0 bulb): Peeled and cut into sticks to serve as a veggie side to pizza. You can prep several days in advance and store in a covered container in the fridge with a bit of water in the bottom.
Banana Pepper (1.0 count): sliced and put on pizza
Pepper, Jalapeno (1.0 count): diced and cooked with ground beef for chili
Zucchini, Green and/or GOLD (1.0 count): 2 in zucchini fritters, 1 in linguini dish (diced and sautéed in olive oil with eggplant and garlic, then season with salt and pepper and serve over the pasta)
Watermelon (1.0 count): cut into slice and served next to zucchini fritters
Pepper, Bell- PURPLE (1.0 count): fajitas
Lettuce, Romaine (1.0 head): Caesar salad
Eggplant, Japanese (1.0 count): Diced and sautéed in olive oil with zucchini and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve over cooked linguini.
Beans, Green (1.0 bag): summer salad
Onion, Sierra Sweet (1.0 1-2 count): 1/4 in summer salad, 1/4 in zucchini fritters, 1/2 in fajitas
Cucumber (1.0 count): summer salad
Garlic (1.0 count): summer salad, zucchini and corn fritters, linguini
Pepper, Green Bell (1.0 count): fajitas
A1 Corn, Sweet (1.0 count): 2 in summer salad, 2 in zucchini fritters, 2 in chili; Shuck the corn and cut the kernels off the cob with a sharp knife
