Weekly menu

I am finding myself awash in potatoes, kiwi, mangoes, bok choy and Napa cabbage after picking up my Bountiful Baskets today. The menu for the coming week will use up the majority of our produce, but I was able to freeze a gallon size bag each of Napa and bok choy for later, plus I roasted, diced and froze our Anaheim peppers to use this week and beyond.

Here's what came in today's baskets (3) and Asian add-on pack (2):

• 3 cantaloupes
• 3 pineapples (plus 2 I bought at Costco last week)
• 18 or so apples
• 3 bunches bananas (plus 2 big bunches from last week that are just now ready to eat)
• 15 or so mangoes (plus at least 6 from the last two baskets)
• 24 or so kiwis (plus we have 3 bags of organic kiwis ripening from last week)

• 2 bunches celery
• 2 huge heads of bok choy
• 2 huge heads of Napa cabbages
• 2 bunches green onions
• 12 or so water chestnuts (fresh water chestnuts are AMAZING and nothing like the nasty canned ones!)
• 6 English cucumbers
• 6 bell peppers
• 2 heads garlic
• 4 yellow onions
• 2 bags of snow peas
• 3 containers of living butter lettuce (my favorite lettuce!)
• 12 Anaheim chilies
• 2 bags of white new potatoes
• 3 bags of Brussels sprouts (plus a big bag I bought at Costco last week)
• 2 bags of Thai basil

We also have 6 gorgeous yellow squash from last week, and a ton of tomatoes, oranges, apples and pears. And then there's the stuff I've frozen from previous weeks.

I shouldn't have bought the pineapple and Brussels sprouts from Costco, but I only get there about once a month and sometimes I just can't help myself. I never learn. Still, I love that I don't have to buy any produce at the store anymore. I usually wait to get my baskets on Saturday, and then fill in a couple of things that I'm missing either Saturday afternoon or Monday morning. This week the only thing I'll have to buy is some strawberries and raspberries.

In case you haven't figured it out, I seriously love Bountiful Baskets. There's no way I could get all that comes in one basket for $15 at the store, and I love that it forces me to be more creative with my cooking. I've even learned to appreciate eggplant, which I've always hated, and we've been able to try some things that are difficult, if not impossible, to get around here (celeriac, Jerusalem artichokes, the aforementioned fresh water chestnuts, just to name a few). I usually buy organic baskets, and although they're more money ($25), it's nice to have that option. Only Albertsons here in town carries any organic produce to speak of, but it's always the same things: broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes, kiwi, apples, onions, and strawberries when in season. And it's expensive! Maybe people in big cities can beat the price and selection of BB's organic basket, but I sure as heck can't.

Anyway, without further ado, here is this week's menu. As always, any reference to milk or cheese always means vegan versions. I'm most excited about the mango curry. Yum!