May 1, 2011 by Christine
In the coming weeks you can expect some changes to the weekly meal planning posts around here. Through the course of the semester it has made sense for me to plan meals, grocery shop, and even do a lot of cooking ahead on the weekends. Weekdays are just kind of crazy when Micah and I are both in school.
But this semester is nearly done. Hooray! And the end of the semester also happens to correspond with the start of the CSA's. I've wanted to do a CSA since we first moved to NC 4 years ago, but for one reason or another it has never worked out. (Stuff like having a baby or living in San Francisco got in the way.)
But this year we are doing not one but two CSA's! The first one is a "typical" produce CSA from Hickory Mountain Farm. The second is a meat CSA from Lilly Den Farm. We will be picking up our food every Tuesday at the farmer's market in our neighborhood.
So, why does this mean changes in weekly meal planning? Starting next week, I will do my weekly meal planning AFTER I see what awesome food is in the CSA boxes! My hope is that I will get the CSA food, add a few additional farmer's market goodies, then go home to meal plan. After that, I can fill in with necessities from the grocery store.
Here's what excites me about the new meal plans:
- I am super excited for the challenge of cooking whatever veggies show up in the box. Hooray for our family experiencing new veggies!
- Ditto the challenge of cooking whatever meat I happen to get for the week. I tend to get stuck in a ground-beef-or-chicken-breast rut when I cook meat, so I'm happy that I will be challenged to serve steak or pork. Maybe even the occasional goat, lamb, or veal!
- Fresh food!
- Local food!
- More incentive to cook seasonally. I tend to cook what sounds good without much regard to what's in season. Cooking seasonally not only promises fresher food, it also means cheaper food!
- Speaking with the people who grow my food. Cool.
In conclusion, weekly meal planning this summer will occur on Tuesday night or Wednesday day. And my meals will be planned around my lovely CSA boxes!
3.08
Excited about your meat CSA! That will be interesting!
I also think I'm taking the easy way out by cooking seasonally during the wealth of the summer veggies and fruits! :)