Menu Plan: September 27 - October 3

Is next weekend really October?  It can't be!  It's still summer, isn't it?  Around my neck of the woods, it certainly feels like summer.  Not Indian summer but a continuation of summer with no reprieve.  Our fair city broke records last week for temperature highs, and lows (the highest lows at night for this time of the year).

My figs are still ripening but there isn't enough to make another batch of fig preserves.  I pulled up my tomato plants two weeks ago thinking fall and frost would be on the way.  Those green tomatoes could have ripened on the vine.  And my cool weather veggies were all burned to a withered crisp which means no late crop of collards, broccoli, or spinach.

This at a time when the dearth of veggies in the American diet has been everywhere recently.  Health professionals have been trying to push the 5-a-day program for eating more fruits and veggies.  In news reports in recent weeks have been stories about a campaign for baby carrots taking on junk food.  In yesterday's New York Times was an article about how we Americans have (sort of) listened.  We've turned to French fries to up our veggie intake.  The article has a photo of a baby carrot vending machine next to a junk food vending machine.  The baby carrot vending machines were even lampooned in last night's Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live (too recent for a video link).

So let's see if I can fit more fruits and vegetables into my family's menu this week.

• Monday
• Breakfast:  bagels with cream cheese
• Supper:  potluck (Maeve's ballet, Deirdre's Girl Scout press event, Mr. Gaelic's weather delay from work [rain in the forecast means no motorcycle ride to work which means public transportation])
• Tuesday
• Breakfast:  cereal
• Supper:  whole baked cabbage (cabbage left over from last week's borscht)
• Wednesday
• Breakfast:  grapefruit halves, toast
• Supper:  baked mac & cheese, fried okra, honeyed carrots
• Thursday
• Breakfast:  toast, fig preserves
• Supper:  cheese soufflé, asparagus
• Friday
• Breakfast:  oatmeal
• Supper:  shrimp étouffée, rice, salad
• Saturday
• Breakfast:  muffins, muffins, and more muffins (Muffins and Mugs [BYOM - bring your own mug] breakfast party we're throwing before our neighborhood arts festival)
• Supper:  pizza for girls, dinner our for adults (fundraiser for new grand piano at our church)
• Sunday
• Breakfast:  bacon, eggs, grits, toast
• Dinner:  pot roast, roast potatoes, sugar peas

Wow!  Even for a foodie like me, it's damn hard fitting in all those fruits and veggies every day.  Lunch and snacks will have to help make up the deficit.  And maybe the installation of a baby carrot vending machine by the back door?