Use the whole menu to help you plan out the next 3 weeks or just some of the recipes for inspiration. Click on the blue underlined words for links to the actual recipes!

WEEK 1

Soup: There are many versions of ribollita, an Italian bean and kale (or cabbage) soup, including one from the New York Times and another from Mario Batali.

This week Hannukah celebrants and others can consider potato pancakes or other vegetable fritters, such as: parsnips, celery root, turnips, carrot, leek, etc. Serve with a slaw—any combination of cabbage, carrot, radish, etc. A good dressing is 1 Tb tahini, ½-1 tsp honey, 2 Tb vinegar, salt, and olive oil to the consistency and taste you like.

Self Magazine’s 50 ways to eat kale, including soba noodle bowl with kale and mushrooms. If you ordered shiitake mushrooms from Fungi Ally this would be a great dish in which to use them. The kale can also be doubled (or tripled) in place of brussels sprouts.

If you ordered locally produced feta you might try this winter squash and leek gratin. I had no farro so used whole barley, which has a similar chew. I also used dill (from my freezer) and oregano. This would taste different with onions in place of leeks but would still be delicious. I might experiment with using aquafaba in place of eggs as the basis for a vegan version.

Carrot gnocchi. I would make a salad or vegetable depending on which sauce….. could be mushrooms sauteed with garlic, or sauteed greens, or a shredded kale salad with apples and radishes.

Rutabaga and celery root puree with seared scallops.

WEEK 2

Soup: The flavors in this Butternut squash soup with miso and coconut sound delicious. If, like me, you have limited interest in pureed soups, consider a chunky version.

 

Roasted carrot and lentil salad with tahini dressing (and sliced radish).

 

Pissaladiere, a cheeseless pizza topped with caramelized onion. Not all variations include tomato sauce, as is done here. This one also uses puff pastry, but store-bought or homemade pizza dough would of course be great too. Serve with roasted beet salad with sesame and marjoram or oregano.

 

Beans and greens soft tacos. Serve with baked rutabaga fries with Mexican spices.

 

Stir fried cabbage with creamy peanut sauce (with or without cooked shredded chicken or tofu). Stir-fried shredded sweet potato looks like a fun go-with, if you’re looking for one.

 

Potato salad with smoked paprika could make a great lunch, together with a sandwich or another salad. Rutabagas could probably also be substituted for the potatoes.

 

WEEK 3

 

Soup: Chicken noodle soup with parsnips and dill. One of my grandmothers must have done this – probably the one who could cook, because parsnips in chicken soup tastes so familiar and right to me.

 

Make a pot of black beans for the week (or for some to freeze). Serve with rice or cornbread or corn tortillas or as a side to a different protein. Roasted sweet potatoes would be a delicious side.

 

Butternut mole enchiladas. Cabbage slaw, leftover black beans.

 

Carrots and rutabagas with lemon and honey. Would pair well with turkey meatloaf (which can be doubled to freeze one loaf before cooking; and be careful not to overcook it). Or any type of vegetarian or vegan loaf.

 

Vegan version of a leek, potato, and celery root gratin (again subbing onions if you’re out of leeks). A shredded raw beet salad might partner well.

 

When in doubt about what to do with extra parsnips, I make parsnip muffins. Try them, if you haven’t – they’re delicious. I usually cut the sugar in half and use whole wheat pastry flour. Subbing pear for apple is nice too.