Clearing the Winter Veg with Weekly Meal Planning
Pictured is my winter veg. Its still going strong, with leeks, spinach, curly kale and carrots in the ground.
Trouble is, I’m not sure how much longer they’ll last now we’re in to BST, and what’s more I need to clear the space for my forthcoming summer veg. To add to the problem, my stored squashes are starting to show signs of decline.
So, as it’s a geeky year for me, with saving spreadsheets and Excel allotment designs, I’m going to up the ante and meal plan. I’ve never really been a planner, and this is all rather alien to me. But I reckon it’ll help.
I’ve nicked the idea from Louisa’s The Really Good Life blog, who regularly posts her weekly mean plans (thanks for the inspiration Louisa!). If I’m going to use up all the remaining winter veg, and juggle my spring crops too, I need to eat some serious allotment fare.
Hopefully weekly meal plans will be great for me to make the very most of what’s available, and also get me in to practise for the summer, when with luck, I’ll be picking stacks of lovely fresh produce.
If you’re interested, this is my inaugural meal plan for next week, designed for maximum winter veg munching (with a hint of spring time newbies):
Monday
Veg curry, using up overwintered Autumn King carrots, stored butternut squash and spinach.
Tuesday
Going for something light as me and the missus will be off to body balance classes (the only thing I’ve ever found to tackle my flexibly-challenged and peculiarly shaped body), so will be giving the excellent Veg Box Veggie’s squash falafels a whirl, in a pitta bread stuffed with my winter salad and maybe a griddled leek.
Wednesday
Chicken with curly kale and squash wedges on the side.
Thursday
Body balance again, so another light one: leek and potato soup (a big batch so I can freeze some).
Friday
A nice quicky PSB pasta and winter salad so I can nip out for a pint.
I’ve also got a few kilos of gooseberries left in the freezer, so will need to start finishing them off before the new crop comes in the next couple of months. I like a compote on my muesli in the morning which will help get the berries eaten. I’ve been slow this year though, and my rhubarb is taking preference at the moment.
Looks like it is going to be a squash-tastic week, but I grew loads last year and really need to get them eaten. Give how much I need for the recipes, I reckon this week could be the one that I bust out my record breaker…
Have a great week!
Tagged carrots, curly kale, pasta, recipes, spinach, squash, winter veg
In 2007, I took on a redundant allotment plot with my gardening-mad mum Jan. As all good mums do, she went along with it, but I don’t think she held out much hope.
During 2011, I kept a diary of how much money I save from growing my own fruit and vegetables.
After totalling all my outgoings, I saved approximately £500 over the year.
I made a spreadsheet to calculate these savings - it’s nothing too complicated, as I’m no Excel guru, but hopefully someone else will find it as useful (and strangely fun) as me.
For more info,
NeilMarch 28, 2011 at 9:58 am
Gooseberries – hard to beat homemade gooseberry icecream
louisa @ TheReallyGoodLifeMarch 28, 2011 at 11:39 am
Hey, good to see someone else meal planning – I do like getting inspiration from other people’s meal plans.
We don’t stick to ours religiously yet but I love having a rough guide.
(Btw, I wouldn’t normally point out typos but it’s funny – you’ve said it’s my “mean plan” – my mean plan is a completely different plan from my meal one. “Monday – be mean”, “Tuesday – be snidey” etc
)
PaulMarch 29, 2011 at 12:24 pm
Mmmm loving the sound of those squash falafels, will give them a try me thinks as my winter squash is starting to look a little the worse for wear too
Alan @ it's not work it's gardeningMarch 29, 2011 at 1:21 pm
Too much squash? Are they butternut? If so, butternut squash soup is a must. My wife made this a couple of years back when I let the squash take over the whole veg bed, and it was delicious! I could find her recipe if needed…
JelliebabeMarch 29, 2011 at 3:34 pm
You need to make some “ready meals” so you have stuff in the freezer for another day! BNS soup or even wedges can be frozen – then when you have a busy night – like your “body balance” class (what manner of foolishness is that!) then you can whip out something healthy in a snap.
The only body balance issues I have is when I have a glass or two too many of the old VINO LOL
> Hic
JonoMarch 30, 2011 at 8:03 pmAuthor
Thanks for the comments everyone.
JB – I very much like the idea of ready meals. Frozen wedges is a good one, especially when my potatoes start to go by. I made some leek and squash pasties last week with the intention of freezing, but the recipe was too good and they ended up getting eaten – all ten of them!
Alan – I love butternut squash soup, and always keen to see a new recipe. Send it this way if you find it.
Paul – the falafels were delicious. Really easy to make, and very tasty. I used normal flour, as I wasn’t quite sure what gram flour was.
Louisa – Thanks for pointing that out. I like ‘mean plan’, think I’ll leave it in there!