Dinners September 23 - 27

Happy Autumnal Equinox! Fall is my favorite time of year for, oh, so many reasons. It is finally cool enough for me to wear all the knitwear I make myself throughout the year. My birthday is coming up. The leaves change. The crisp blue skies make my weedy garden look fantastic. Outdoor adventures beckon...ah, Autumn!

Autumn also means that it is harvest time.

And, harvest time means that I have a lot of picking, plucking, drying, slicing, canning, etc. to do. Last weekend we did pick our apples, juiced them (it took over five hours for this part), and "racked" it up in a carboy for cider. I can't wait to taste the results. As for dinner, I have many options to choose from--vegetable-wise, that is. If only, I had a herd of cows, pigs, etc., then I'd be in business. Throw in a field of wheat, and I'd never have to do the dreaded trip to the grocery store again! Ha, I wouldn't be doing much else besides farming then either.

After much deliberation, here is this week's menu.

Sunday
Summer Squash Lasagna with a few modifications
I think we have eaten all our zucchini (I know, shocking, right?), so I'll use up our yellow crookneck squash. And, I'll skip buying the crushed tomatoes and make my own from my tomatoes in the backyard. I grew some excellent "sauce" tomatoes that are coming on strong right now.

Monday
Grilled Salmon with Garden Veg
No recipe here, but my favorite grilling marinade is this:

- Lime juice
- Cilantro
- Sesame Oil
- Soy Sauce
- a wee bit of brown sugar

Chop cilantro, mix equal parts of the liquids, mix in sugar, pour over fish/meat about an hour in advance. Reserve some for dipping after it is grilled, if you so desire.

As for the garden veg, I have a huge crop of yellow wax beans. My husband is not a huge fan, but when they are grilled, he devours them. They are a good replacement for french fries when grilled.


Tuesday
Tacos with Leftover Fish
This will be an easy meal which is a good thing, since my husband plays in a dart league and their games occur every Tuesday. It is usually a rush at home trying to get him fed and out the door on time, so tacos are an easy choice. We have enough vegetables to make our own salsa, and I'm hoping that our tomatillos are ripened enough to throw into a salsa as well.

Wednesday
Baked Chicken with Pesto
Again, I'll be modifying this recipe. We have a chunk of feta left, so I'll bake the chicken with that. Yum.

Thursday
German Beef Roulade with Bavarian Red Cabbage minus the fancy rolled beef and substituting sausage and potatoes
I am a fan of German food. It's not always the healthiest choice, but it is such a tasty fit for an autumnal day. The original recipe looks delicious, and I may come back to it for a Sunday meal, but it is too fancy and complicated for a dead-tired Thursday meal. Despite it being an un-fancy meal, I will do a little bit of fancifying (yes, that is not a word) and make my own mustard. I hear it is super easy, and I do love a good mustard.


You may, or may not, have noticed, but there is no Friday. That is because that will be reserved for family dinner night, and who knows where we'll go and what we'll eat. I vote Thai.

Happy Autumnal Feasting!
May your days be crisp, sunny, and leafy.


Oops - forgot the shopping list
from home - FH, from store = FS, from farmer's market = FM

• summer squash FH
• crushed tomatoes FH
• 15oz ricotta FS
• 16oz mozzarella FS
• Parmesan Reggiano FS
• 1lb ground beef/pork FS
• Coho salmon FS
• cilantro FH
• soy sauce FH
• sesame oil FS (need more)
• lime juice FH (leftover from last week's shopping trip)
• broccoli FM
• beans FH
• corn tortillas FS
• tomatillos FS
• jalapeno FS
• chicken FH (in freezer)
• pesto FH (I have plenty of basil in the garden)
• feta FH
• pasta FS
• cabbage FH
• potatoes FH
• mustard FH (and mustard seed and tumeric from store)
• sausages FS