What to Cook for Dinner this Week

The farmers’ market is finally overflowing. Yesterday morning, I went mainly in search of some rhubarb so I can make strawberry rhubarb jam and strawberry rhubarb crumble. I was successful. In addition to four-and-a-half pounds of rhubarb, I walked out with beets (to roast), turnips (to mash), fennel (to julienne into salad), a bag of salad greens, a pint of the first blueberries of the season, two bunches of perfect asparagus, a bouquet of fresh basil from a local greenhouse, and two quarts of glowing, gem-like strawberries. And all this doesn’t represent a third of what was available.

Ahh, Virginia. One of the things I do like about you is your long growing season.

(Don’t get me wrong, folks. A longer growing season can’t fill the hole in my heart the size of Lake Michigan. I deeply miss my sandy beaches, stands of jack pines, and all the familiar rhythms of a Michigan summer. Do I sound homesick? Yeah, I thought so.)

But I digress. My point is that in summer, what’s available at the farmers’ market informs my weekly menu in a big way, so I’m moving the weekly menu post to later in the weekend, after I’ve made my Saturday morning trip to the market. If you’re a little hesitant about seasonal meal planning, check out this post. It has some tips and suggestions.

Here’s what I’m cooking this week. There’s a lot of green in this menu, I know. Hopefully you can find some meals here that work for you, too!

Monday: Roast Chicken and Spring Vegetable Ragout. Obviously, roast the chicken on its own.

Tuesday: Asparagus and Goat Cheese Frittata. I seem to make a lot of frittatas in the spring. They’re a fantastic canvas for spring vegetables. For this one, blanch the asparagus until crisp-tender first.

Wednesday: Spaghetti with Chicken, Ricotta and Spring Greens. I’ll use those turnips and beet greens in this. Arugula, too – it adds a peppery punch.

Thursday: Shaved Asparagus Pizza. Because, why not? No one will know it’s asparagus.

Friday: Takeout Night. Our new favorite place is Nando’s Peri-Peri Chicken. One just opened a few miles from us. We love the Mango Lime marinated chicken.

Saturday: Spring Minestrone and No-Knead Bread. 

Sunday: Roasted Greek Chicken Thighs and Greek Salad with Roasted Beets.

Weekend Breakfast: Deb’s Rhubarb Streusel Muffins. Who could possibly resist these?!

Hope your week is a happy one!

Blessings,

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