Grasshoppers Pickup Number 15

This week's basket contained:

• 1 beef shoulder roast
• 2 potatoes
• 1 acorn squash
• Red mustard greens
• 1 large head Chinese cabbage
• Escarole
• 2 green turnips
• 1 bag of salad mix

With all the leafy greens in this basket, I'm going to have to be aggressive in making use of them--they won't keep for long.

I intend to braise the mustard greens with some bacon to make a side dish. (Big ole smile!)

The cabbage will be stewed with a few country-style pork ribs and served with cornbread. I thought about using the potatoes to make German potato salad, but I'd really need more than 2 potatoes. I might just bake the potatoes as 2 side dishes. They would be great as a side dish with the pork chops I've got in the freezer. but I'm not sure I'd get to those chops in time.

The escarole will go into salad. I may buy a few more ingredients (radishes, cherry tomatoes, etc.) to go into this.

The turnips and the acorn squash--I don't know. I might could use them in some sort of "root vegetable curry". They'll keep for a bit, so I have a little time to decide.

As usual, the meat is accumulating in my freezer. My first thought about the shoulder roast is slow-cooking it on top of the stove with potatoes, carrots, onions, and a few cups of water to make a cornstarch-thickened sauce. To be served with crusty French bread and a hearty red wine. Simple and delicious.