Expected contents Oct 24, 2015

salad mix, 0.75 lb

lettuce, 2 small

bok choi, 1 bu

cauliflower, 2 heads

kale 2 bunches

1 bunch other greens

leeks, 1 bu

white salad turnips, 1 bu

parsley, bunch

cabbage 1 head green and 1 head red

beets 3#

carrots 5#

onions 2#

potatoes white 5#

sweet potatoes 4#

winter squash 4 pc acorn or celebration

pie pumpkin (1)

garlic 1/2#

It should be easy for meat-eaters, including paleo diet adherents, to fit animal protein into the menus, since it would simply involve roasting, braising, or grilling chicken or meat to go with the vegetables. Root vegetables are great for meat-based braises and stews that need little attention and make large quantities.

These menus focus on vegetables. If there is no obvious protein it’s up to you what you might like to add and whether you will treat vegetables as the focus or as a side dish.

WEEK 1 (ideas for the most perishable items)

Consider blanching and freeze some or all the kale and other greens for a subsequent week.

Lately I’ve been loving bitter greens, such as turnip greens, stir fried with garlic and hot pepper. Add your favorite additional seasonings, such as soy sauce and mirin, or a bit of balsamic vinegar or lemon juice. Serve with steamed or roasted salad turnips, roasted carrots, and perhaps rice.

Soup: sweet potato soup (Adapted from cooks illustrated). Serve with salad of salad mix.

Roasted cauliflower with lemon parsley dressing served with white bean salad or any other protein

Or escarole with white beans, lemon, and parsley. Serve with lettuce or salad mix, shredded carrots, and balsamic rosemary vinaigrette.

If you have fresh shiitake mushrooms, glaze them with the bok choy; otherwise

Sweet and spicy bok choy. Both recipes use hot peppers and can be served with soba noodles, rice, or a protein.

Epicurious tells me I’ve been making roasted pork loin with shiitake mushroom and leek compote since 1995. It’s very easy, and the braise and compote methods can be adapted to other ingredients. Serve with polenta or roasted potatoes, and a salad of salad mix.

WEEK 2:

SOUP: rosemary and vegetable soup (potatoes, kale—can use fresh or previously blanched & frozen)

Indian-spiced cauliflower and potatoes (Aloo gobi mutter), with crunchy, warm, Gujarati cabbage salad and rice or flatbread.

Mexican roasted beet salad, with poblano chili and lime. Serve with soft tacos of any sort or with blackened fish, shredded cabbage, and rice.

Sweet potato and quinoa burgers, with leftover beet salad

Sauteed leeks, as a side. Or, as Jamie Oliver suggests, as a base for gnocchi with mustardy leeks and bacon.

WEEK 3:

Soup: red lentil soup with lemon or lemony green lentil soup or another green lentil soup with lemon (with longer ingredient list).

Roasted corn pudding in acorn squash (I’m sure frozen corn will work). Shaved beet, radish, and carrot salad with Dijon apple cider vinaigrette.

Homemade Kale pasta with tomato sauce. Here’s how to roll out pasta by hand.

Braised red cabbage with apple and onion, serve with a simple quiche or chicken or with tempeh (can use walnuts in place of chestnuts in the tempeh recipe).

Roasted potatoes with dried figs and thyme, galette with chard (or other greens) and gruyere.

How to prepare pumpkin puree and make pumpkin pie

Recipe for week 1: sweet potato soup recipe (Adapted from cooks illustrated).

1. Scrub and peel 2 lbs sweets, reserving ¼ peels, halving potatoes the long way, and slicing ¼” thick.
2. Saute 1 sliced shallot and 4 thyme sprigs in 4 Tb melted butter until softened.
3. Add 4 ¼ cups water, bring to a simmer, add the potatoes and reserved skins, turn off heat and let sit, uncovered, 20 min.
4. Add 1 Tb brown sugar, 1.5 tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, and ½ tsp cider vinegar, bring back to a simmer and cook, covered, on low, until potatoes are very soft (~10 min).
5. Remove thyme sprigs and puree in blender until smooth.
6. Bring back to simmer, add water to thin if desired.
7. Serve topped with croutons or crème fraiche, cream, or yogurt, snipped chives or other herbs, etc.