Cara's Game Plan for Week 8

When I cook, I’m a creature of habit. I like to experiment with some new recipes, but I rely on my old standards to get us through a week in a healthful (and hopefully flavorful) week. Whatever is in the box, we almost always eat the fruit soon after we get it. At least one of the vegetables becomes a midweek vegetable choose, a colorful array of raw or lightly steamed vegetables (cucumbers, green beans, or broccoli) to be eaten plain or dipped in chummus.

Another great use for green beans is to make them the base of your salad instead of lettuce. I had this at a restaurant once and have adapted it to many salads when I have green beans on hand. For one idea, see my recipe for Green Bean Salad Nicoise. If I don't use the new potatoes in this recipe, I'll use them in a batch of Prospect Park Potato Salad, which I have been craving even after all the summer barbeques.

I nearly always make a frittata, which is especially good with vegetables that are a bit wilted or have been languishing in the back of your refrigerator. As an alternative to eggs, try using extra-firm tofu that’s smoothed out in the food processor in a Tofu Frittata (see recipe). I’ll likely use this week’s spanish onion and red kale in lieu of the carrot and zucchini listed in the recipe.

I can guarantee that the fennel will last the longest in my fridge. I don’t love the licorice taste, but since it’s fresh from the farm, I’ll probably give it a try. I’ve heard slicing it thinly and topping it with lemon juice and olive oil and some kind of cheese works well. For a link to one such recipe, click here.