Week 16 Menu Plan

Apricots from our Tree

Featuring potatoes, leeks, collards, green beans, large radishes, zucchini, berries

Potatoes again this week, and they keep getting bigger. Luckily, we are still getting leeks and enjoying the simple goodness of potato-leek soup with and without milk. Perhaps I’ll change it up with some fresh marjoram from the garden this week. Our bounty of green beans this week are inspiring me to make a healthy bean casserole--just like Mom used to make, but without the canned fried onions and cream of mushroom soup. I’m combining two recipes (one for onion topping and one for bean part), with a few tweaks of my own and will share if it’s post-worthy.

I’m playing music at the Watsonville Farmers Market again tomorrow. (Locals c’mon down to the park and join us Friday between 4 – 7 pm!) Hopefully I will not overdo it—again—on the free veggies that the generous farmers offer us. There’s only so much room in the refrigerator. Still, I am keeping an eye out for some summer fruits and almonds (pronounced “eh-muns,” not “ahl-monds” by those who cultivate them in the Central Valley) to make a fruit stuffing to add to my Apricot-Honey Glazed Cornish Hen recipe. The original Hawaiian cookbook recipe calls for a complex homemade plum-brandy sauce. I’m not sure how to fake a recipe for that yet.

Speaking of preserved fruits (plum-brandy sauce), I’m setting aside some time this weekend to make a recipe I learned in Happy Girl Kitchens’ jam-making class: fresh berries in light honey sauce. They used a 1-to-10 solution of honey-to-water. I’m going to make it a little sweeter, and also experiment with preserving berries in fruit wine instead of the honey-water.  Wish me luck, because if it works for me I’ll share it with you!

As you can see from my photo, we’re starting to harvest apricots from our tree! This is the tree that is leaning over at a 45-degree angle since a storm last May when we were away. I promise to post a pic of the tree next week so you’ll know I’m not exaggerating!

Wednesday

Veggie burgers & homemade catsup

Leftover potato leek soup

Leftover fennel with tomatoes

Leftover salad

Thursday

Turkey burgers

Steamed green beans

Quick Asian-style collard greens

Friday

Leftover turkey burgers

Steamed summer squash

Cannelini bean hummus or salad?

Preserved berries?

Saturday

Lunch:

Bruce: Cannelini bean hummus?

Robin: At party where I’m playing music

Dinner:

Fish

Potato Leek Soup

Preserved berries?

Sunday

Lunch:

Veggie burgers

Carrot pancakes or toasted carrots with wheat germ

Dinner:

“Real” green bean casserole

Cornish hens with Apricot Glaze and summer fruit stuffing

Monday

Leftover hens & stuffing

Leftover bean casserole

Preserved berries?

Tuesday

Leftovers