"Lunch on the Field," Francisco Bayeu y Subias. Oil on vancas, 37x56 cm. Museo del Prado, Madrid.
It’s way, way too hot for a picnic here in Austin, but I’m really missing the weekly picnics Rami and I were taking earlier in the summer. I’m tentatively planning for us to go to Krause Springs for some swimming on Sunday, with a twilight picnic in the mix if we can stand the heat. Other than that, we have a pretty standard week ahead. The heat wave and continued drought are really doing a number on Texas farmers, and only the most heat-tolerant plants are still producing. (Bella Verde’s bibb lettuce is hydroponic.) It will be a bit of a stretch to make our available produce into six meals, but I’m going to do my best. Here’s the produce I’m cooking with this week.
- Yellow Peaches – Caskey Orchards
- Avocados – G&S Groves
- Lady Cream or Purple Hull Peas – Just Peachy
- Okra – Engel Farm
- Bibb Lettuce – Bella Verde
- Shallots – Lund Farm
- Sage Plant – My Father’s Farm
- Butternut Squash – Animal Farm, Engel
- Red Potatoes – Gundermann Acres
- Wednesday: Okra and tomato soup, southern soda bread
- Thursday: Bibb lettuce is perfect for lettuce wraps. I’ve got ground beef on hand, so I’ll be making these beef lettuce wraps. This tofu version looks good, too.
- Friday: Butternut squash macaroni and cheese, sliced peaches on the side
- Saturday: Shallot and white wine poached salmon, garlic red potatoes
- Sunday: Texas mosh salad with avocado and purple hull peas, Milagro tortilla chips,
- Monday: Slow cooker pot roast, garlic red potatoes (again. hopefully we get a lot of potatoes)
- Tuesday: Leftover awareness night!