Vegetable box challenge

[DuffyFlucks]

I appreciate these vegetables might not be challenging for everyone....

Feeling really unhealthy recently I decided to tackle diet. First fruit/veg box we used most of the contents. I have two large courgettes left which look slightly past their best. Couple carrots/parsnips.

This week - a whole celeriac (barely want to touch it!), a huge red cabbage, bag curly kale and biggish aubergine (some other stuff that will get used).

Fruit is easy - DC will eat eat all fruit. I don't think either will touch the above vegetables so i probably need recipes that i can freeze. Thinking root vegetable soup is obvious?

Aubergine and courgette male ratatouille seem obvious. Have never made it but figure i just need tomatoes and garlic.

I have had aubergine in thai curries in restaurants but would rather not eat loads of cream.

A whole red cabbage though?

I am going to get some food shopping this morning so can add ingredients.

You could make parmagiana with the aubergines or stuff them with spiced minced lamb, could chop the kale into that too.

Not freezable but you could make a nice celeriac remoulade or make a coleslaw with the red cabbage, celeriac, carrots and kale.

Courgette fries are nice, or turn them into fritters with a bit of halloumi or feta.

This was the ratatouille recipe which my kids used to like best:

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/jun/27/nigel-slater-classic-recipe-ratatouille

This celeriac and celery soup recipe is suprisingly good and can be spiced up and have cheese added:

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/collections/hearty-soups/slow-cooked-celery-and-celeriac-soup

Cole slaws, remoulades, braised red cabbage all work well and can be tweaked easily for indiividual preference.

Veg based soups such as minestrones and pistous can be varied to use up shredded greens, roots and oddments in the box.

This book is out of print but you can get it second hand for a couple of quid. I used to use it a lot for seasonal veg ideas when stumped and never had a duff recipe from it. All practical family recipes.

www.amazon.co.uk/Boxing-Clever-Cookbook-Twelve-Recipe/dp/0954389107?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Oh some lovely ideas here, definitely going to try the cabbage and sausage.
I'm a great fan of roasted veg, with plenty of garlic added half way through cooking. Toasted pine nuts sprinkled on before serving tags nice.
I store Fri the bag of make with garlic and a chilli.

Some lovely sounding ideas.

Courgette quiche is easy and yummy (grate the courgette with the skin on). Any vege quiche recipe would work so long as you have at least a cup of courgette to add.

Aubergine - slice lengthways in half then score with a knife in a criss-cross pattern. Douse with plenty of olive oil. Grill until browned and the aubergine is soft. Drizzle Greek yoghurt over the top and sprinkle some toasted pine nuts on as a final topping.

A big roast dinner usually uses up all my odd bits of veg!

I’d be having a roast with steamed kale and braised red cabbage.

Half the red cabbage would go in a coleslaw.

I’d make a sticky hoisin stir fry with the aubergine (add tofu).

I’d make courgette carbonara with the courgettes.

Celeriac isn’t my fav, but all veg is ok in soup!

Red cabbage - trim off root and any manly outer leaves. Cut in half and brush with oil. Roast cut side down in a roasting dish with chicken, pork, whatever. Remove from pan when roast is done, remove crispy outer leaves and slice thinly. Serve.

Juice can turn a chicken pink so if it's a particularly fussy household you may want to sacrifice some carrots or sliced potatoes to raise it up.

There's no faffing around with vinegar or mayonnaise. Just roast and eat.

Lasagne with the kale, courgette and aubergine

Celeriac will keep for ages in the salad drawer. I cut a chunk off now and then and dice to add to a veg soup - it’s very tasty, though the peel does look off-putting, I know.

A courgette can be finely diced and added to any tomato-ey based sauce, or to a ratatouille.

The only thing I really don’t like in our veg box (no choice, it’s from a co. that usually supplies restaurants so trying to keep going) is fennel. I hate the taste, but it’s the only veg I really dislike.

TBH I think we’ve been consuming more veg since having the deliveries, since I loathe waste and do make an effort to use everything up. (Even the fennel, though I did chuck half of it after a valiant effort to use some.)

The aubergine tastes bitter. If I keep cooking will it lose the bitterness/spongyness?! I have tried searching online but all the tips are for before you start cooking.

If you keep on with the box scheme over the next few months, courgettes are likely to feature heavily.

When they're fresh, you can cut them into batons to eat with hummus or on their own as a snack.

grate into pasta sauce or meatballs.

Grate and make fritters with feta - possibly look for a spicy one with gram flour.

Grate into an omelette.

Put cubes into a curry or veg chilli.

Chocolate courgette cake is another option.

For aubergine, there's a Rick Stein recipe on the internet where the aubergine is stuffed with mince.