Weekly Menu Planning – August 2023

Cooking Discussions Cooking, Cookbooks, Ingredients
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Tonight’s Corn Zucchini Tomato soup will be a recipe CH’er @LindaWhit posted in 2013 - An excellent use of summer’s bounty.

Corn, Tomato & Zucchini Soup

1 small onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 to 1/2 large red or yellow bell pepper, de-veined and seeded, roughly chopped
2 cups chopped zucchini and/or yellow squash
1 or 2 carrots (depending on their size), peeled and thinly sliced into carrot pennies
1 large tomato, cored and seeded, rough-chopped (OR you can use cherry tomatoes - maybe 8-10 cut in half - Easier to use and less juicy/messy)
1 qt. (32 oz., 4 C.) chicken stock
1 tsp. dried thyme (I use oregano)
salt and pepper to taste
2 ears of corn, kernels removed (or about 1-1/2 cups of frozen corn)
1/2 cup orzo (or other small pasta)
Parmesan cheese, optional

In a 4-qt. stockpot, add some olive or canola oil and heat on medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and bell pepper and sauté for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, just until onions are beginning to get translucent. Add zucchini/squash, carrots, and tomatoes; continue to stir occasionally, cooking for a few more minutes.
Add chicken stock to pot, along with dried thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a low boil, then add corn and orzo.
Turn heat to simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes until orzo is done.

Sprinkle in some grated Parmesan cheese, if you want, OR add it to the top of the soup in your bowl.
LindaWhit 8/31/2013

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What?? Almost September? Already?? When your plan is more for September than August, the new discussion is here Weekly Menu Planning – September 2023

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Cooking in a very no- frills kitchen this week, with a big bag of FM baby Red Russian kale to use up.

Su: bibimbap

M: beef chow mein from RecipeTin Eats

Tu: NYT one-pot spaghetti with cherry tomatoes and kale

W: kimchi fried rice from RecipeTin Eats

Th and F: probably takeout unless I make it to the FM and something catches my eye.

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Gosh I would happily your whole week without a single change!

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Now there’s a step into the Wayback Machine! Had forgotten about this soup!

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Gretchen’s mention of bibimbap on her menu is prompting me to report on my waffled bibimbap - which I made last night since the Asian slaw was “best by” yesterday (thanks, Instacart shopper…). I had tried layering rice, meat, vegs, rice in the waffler, but it was too tall and I couldn’t press the waffler closed. Today I waffled the cold leftover rice - pressed about 1/3 C into a patty, then put it in the space for a waffle, repeat 3 more times. The rice eventually crisped up (probably 10-12 min) and DS was very happy with his plain rice-waffle. I have two waffles left, and meat/vegs for those.

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NYT one-pot spaghetti with cherry tomatoes and kale.

Love that NYT recipe - we make it often.

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What makes it special for me is the textures, as well as the flavor – just enough variety of firm and tender. Husband likes his with shredded chicken added. Thanks, again (many years later) for the recipe!

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Monday
Pork souvlaki, Greek dips, spaghetti squash, fresh sourdough

Tue:
Cevapi (frozen ones that are lamb-beef-veal), pasta with jarred Marinara (Carbone’s, which I recommend for a posh sauce!)
Crispy breaded eggplant
Garlic bread

Wed:
Tuna niçoise with new potatoes from the garden

Thu: no idea, probably roast chicken

Fri: September! Boy, this summer went fast.

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Hello to everyone from the Twin Cities of MN where the State fair is in full swing and the evening fireworks are just blasting off. We love the fair, but we live about 3 miles from the fair grounds in park and ride land (free buses to the fair from area parking lots- mostly churches or vacant office buildings) so it’s lots of drivers not knowing where they are going and sooo much more traffic. I’m taking a break from fighting with the online ordering for middle school “save time and order your locks/ipad insurance/shirts ahead” when the (@#&*@5y thing won’t let me complete my order. Would it be to hard to tell me where to look for my student’s ID number? Grr. . .

Anyways. cooking/assembling food/ordering takeout for 2 adults and 2 kiddos who are ready for school to start but not ready for summer to be over. Also under attack from CSA tomatoes . . and Mr Autumm has a cold and still does not believe me that claritin is not going to solve his problems. Actuals and a few plans to finish the month out:

Weds 23: Swim lessons for both kiddos. Big kiddo turned 12! She wanted crab legs. Red lobster did the catering. Birthday “cake” was a hybrid of a trifle and the jello pretzel salad

Thurs 24: Both kiddos skated back to back. I was supposed to be in charge of the pizza party delivery for the skaters for end of session, but the delivery was an hour early so off the hook. Dominos for the girls. meatballs in the crock pot at home for the adults

Fri 25: Took the girls to the zoo to check out the Tree top trail- they made an elevated walking path out of the old monorail. Big highlight was seeing Mama Tiger and her 3 not so cubs lounging by their pool. Leftover crab legs and fixings

Sat 26: State fair day- Pronto pups and cheese curds and sundaes at the diary building (I skipped the ice cream and go a gorgeous wool winter hat- saving on calories) and a First Kiss apple and other stuff too. Our park (walk) and ride bus had a loon on it. Very MN appropriate

Sun 27: Beach afternoon at a regional park- with a stop over at the in-laws on the way over to fix their printer (cable was not fully plugged in). Able to keep a straight face when telling my MIL (who doesn’t like football) she is not invited to the fantasy football draft. Too much beach fun so takeout pizza on the way home (and lunches for the next day)

Mon 28: Both kiddos skated. Chicken curry (Costco) with rice and assorted crudités

Tonight: I’ve been grumpy all day- early dentist appt and yes, something cracked and I need a new filling. And probably a new crown on the tooth next door but that’s not urgent. But really liked the new guy who bought the practice and the hygienist with the sassy attitude I needed- going back in a week for my filling with orders to chew on the other side and mouthwash swish frequently. CSA pick up. big kiddo added on skating to use our last coupon- Gyros (Costco) with CSA tomatoes and greens, CSA corn on the cob, cucumbers

Weds 30: Little one meet the teacher and then big kiddo middle school orientation. Wednesday BLTs with either corn on the cob CSA or green beans CSA. Might move the corn on the cob to lunch

Thurs 31: Mr Autumm is going to a Pearl Jam concert. Big kiddo skates. Something low effort on my part- they probably will talk me into Chipotle for them.

Going forwards: a pork shoulder was on sale and needs cooking, another Pearl Jam concert for Mr Autumm, the aforementioned fantasy football draft- featuring bacon wrapped smokies, but also needing to be nut free, gluten free friendly/vegetarian friendly (the veg member understands that smokies fulfill her husband’s meat needs for at least a month) and all that back to school stuff.

Thanks for letting me vent a bit (and I still can’t buy the locks online!) and just very appreciative for our little community here. Here’s to hoping I get back to real cooking and maybe even get back to work in September!

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For using up fresh tomatoes, this Tomato Basil Instant Pot soup is very good and freezes well.
Tomato Basil Instant Pot Soup

Recipe Credit: Kay Atchison Brockwell, FB IP group, October 2017

2 pounds fresh tomatoes (skins, seeds & all – quartered) or 2 cans diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock
4 Oz tomato paste
1 C. white wine
1 diced onion
3 – 4 cloves minced garlic
4 Tablespoons butter
1/2 C. fresh basil
Salt & pepper to taste
1 C. heavy cream or half and half

In pot, on saute : Saute onion and garlic in butter until soft. Add tomato paste and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring. Add white wine and bring to a boil. Add basil, tomatoes, and chicken stock. 10 minutes manual. Any kind of release. Blend with immersion blender, then add salt & pepper to taste. Add heavy cream / half & half and heat to nearly boiling.

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It all sounds like a lot–hang in there!
I also have a recipe that uses up a lot of tomatoes. The recipe that I used, from a W-S soup book, involved 4 lbs. of tomatoes and only 2 cups of broth. I thought it was perfect, but DH asked, “Where’s the pasta?” So it would probably make a good pasta sauce :slight_smile:

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Thank you! I have heavy cream and fresh basil stashed in my freezer.

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Buying school stuff online from the school - really, everything involving the parent portal - is so much harder than it needs to be. Every year I am reminded of this gem from McSweeny’s…

Meals sound great too!

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This is fantastic.

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I’m hoping to get around to blanching and freezing a bunch of them- A task that is not difficult but you just have to Do it. I feel kinda guilty that one went bad from last week’s bounty so I had to toss a few but not that bad.

With the holiday next week and back to school we have few days in a row with no after school activities- I’m hoping to regroup and get things on track again.

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I’m pretty sure that’s mostly how it worked out without calling the office. Can we sub pouring wine for calling office?

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I was sooo overwhelmed after the middle school open house/orientation this afternoon, and my kiddo who has some sensory processing issues was just All Done. Thankfully there was a minimal line to buy the locker locks in person, but the iPad insurance is only available on line. Grr. I felt less incompetent as her bestie’s mom said they couldn’t figure out how to get the website to work either.

And she wants to try theater. . .

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When we had Too Many Tomatoes (even after giving away pounds and pounds) during the pandemic, I started with the lofty goal of blanching, seeing, saucing, and more.

By the end of the season, we just froze them in ziplock bags after rinsing, just flattening the bags slightly for faster defrosting.

Tell ya what, those lazy ones were just fine when we used them.

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Actuals for the last few days of August/first few of Sept, cook for 2 in MN. Where I’m grateful this weekend for A/C and feel zero urge to go to the last days of the State Fair in 97-100 degree F heat. No Fair food on a stick for us this year. Grocery deli potato salads were on sale this weekend, and I brought home some of their “loaded baked potato” version. We quickly decided we like their “old standard” better. Sour cream, shredded cheddar and bacon somehow just seem wrong in a cold potato salad, even though we’d happily have all the toppings on a hot potato.

Mon: BAKED – Blueberry pecan whole wheat muffin tops. Dinner - Garlic-marinade sirloin (grocery meat dept), sweet potato, salad
Tues: Reheat zucchini/corn/tomato soup with added chicken.Yelloh (the company formerly known as Schwans ) cheese filled mini breadsticks.
Wed: Shrimp and fried rice. Dessert - Fresh peach over lemon cake
Thurs, Sat, Sun: Thai beef sirloin & brown rice w green beans, cucumber and carrots (one pot meal) Our Tribe of Many 6/27/22 video recipe in description and about minute 16 for cooking. Tossed salad beside.
Fri: OUT – ribs and fries. Beer.
Sat/Sun: Burgers, deli potato salad, Fresh peaches.

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