CSA Planning, how I minimize waste

Steps to saving $$$, a typical food planning week.

I have a good variety of friends, some who eat out very often (for various reasons) and others who are quite seasoned in the kitchen. This entry is dedicated to the folks who tell me they wouldn't be able to do a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box because they don't feel creative enough OR do have CSA but are bothered when they have to throw some of it away. My box helps me eat out less, not let the cookbooks be dust collectors and stumble upon others' fun, beautiful blogs, and certainly eat more veggies.

1. Make list of what is received in the box:
Lettuce
Beets
Kale
Tomatoes
Escarole
Sunflower Greens
Carrots
Cilantro
Watermelon cucumbers
Broccoli

2. Make notes for ideas next to each item and find a recipe on your CSA's  website, your favorite book or magazine, blog or website or make one up...

• consider what ingredients you already have
•  if you feel daring to make any substitutions so you don't need to buy as much and
•  what you need to pick up at a store

 If you have no idea on recipes just try typing in two or three of your ingredients in Google and see what comes up. You may be surprised at what others have already tried!

Lettuce-salads, tacos, Vietnamese spring rolls (use w/cilantro)
Beets-root for salad, tops for fish soup recipe from Mario or veggie curry?
Kale-steam w/lemon juice and sesame seeds
Tomatoes-salads, tacos, simple bean soup from Oh She Glows
Escarole-Saute with pre-made black bean sauce(not soy free, need to try making one up) and fish
Sunflower greens-salads
Carrots-tops I will try to put in curry; root use in simple bean soup and curry
Cilantro-make sauce for salad or tacos (Woot! New cute blog found called Healthy Blender Recipes -OINK! I cut the oil in half and opted no egg in the Cilantro Mayo recipe); add to mashed potatoes for potluck at work
Watermelon cucumbers-add to salad and/or escarole for black bean sauce fish
Broccoli-steam to have with assumed leftover mashed potatoes with smoked salmon patties OR make aloo gobi substitute for cauliflower OR add to salad

3. Consider which days this week are slow paced or busy, check recipes for prep and baking time. Settle on your meals that fit your schedule and estimate number of servings for each if not known, this gets easier once you have some cooking hours under your belt and determine how much your serving size is (and the other people you may be feeding).

Salad (quick)-4
Tacos (quick, have pre-mixed spice mix)-2
Bean Soup (soak dried beans overnight, boil 45 mins) -4
Curry-4 (soaking dried mushrooms overnight)
Black Bean Fish (quick) -2

4. I use a whiteboard to write the step 3 info down  and then insert into an app on my phone to write out which days I plan to make, then eat or freeze things on before they would go bad. I note if I have made lunch or dinner plans with anyone. If they contain an ALCAT mildly sensitive item that I put on rotation, I try to space things out the recommended four days or plan to freeze it if possible.

5. Enjoy your efforts-fatten your wallet and trim down on sodium, fat, sugar or whatever you need/want to pay attention to.

During rehearsal tonight, a passer-by-er let us know that someone had left their dome light on in their car. What was the last random act of kindness you witnessed or participated in?