Memorial Day is this weekend, which means a lot of us will head to the lake. Don’t have a lake house, don’t worry me neither… but that doesn’t mean you can’t participate with your own grilling party. This week’s Meal Plan has recipes that are great for a grilling party, or just peachy on their own!

Meal One: Peach season! Word on the street is that Fredricksberg and it’s neighbors are having a hard time with their peaches this year with the mild winter, late freezes and hail. So PLEASE savour these peaches! Arugula and peaches and goat cheese are like spaghetti and meatballs to me so this gorgeous grilled peach salad with a mint pesto is an obvious choice to include in this week’s meal plan. If you get a different herb than mint, why not try it in the pesto too?!

Meal Two: I am a sweet and salty fan, so having fruit like peaches and mangoes are a real treat for me because they compliment savory foods so well. Especially cabbage! I’ll be using one of my mangoes in this Asian Mango Slaw. If I get carrots in my box I’ll use those, and if I get kohlrabi, I’ll use that! Kohlrabi is a great crunchy, mild veggie that goes great in any salad. I think you could eat this on it’s own or add chicken or fish for a full meal!

Meal Three: Whether you eat meat or stick to the veggie side of things, a good burger will always entice. For vegetarians (or anybody really!) fire up the grill for a portabello burger and for the meat eaters, why not try out a Greek-Style Lamb Burger. Either way, I’ll be topping it with the little salad with red onion from the lamb burger recipe, subbing my microgreens for the spinach.

Side Dish: One of the best parts about grilling out, are the fabulous sides. Mix up your normal potato salad by adding in kale! I’ll be making this Kale & Potato Salad with Tahini Dressing for my Memorial Day picnic.  Healthier than the mayo version and so much more interesting!

If you have recipe ideas, please share them with us on Facebook & Twitter or in the comments! 

Cinco de Mayo is this weekend, so I thought I’d take this chance to pay homage to one of my favorite cuisines – Mexican! Mexican food is hard to define with all of the regions (including tex-mex, new mexican mex, and california mex), but I’m going to do my best. So grab a margarita & let’s cook!

drink: Nothing like a margarita to beat the heat. Well nothing except a fresh strawberry margarita! Good for any day but perfect for Cinco de Mayo – and with local strawberries, it couldn’t get any better!

appetizer: One of my favorite restaurants in town is Polvo’s. One of the reasons I like it is for their salsa bar, especially the escabeche. Escabeche are pickled veggies. For this version of escabeche I’ll use my rainbow carrots, kohlrabi and spring onions along with the normal jalapenos.  Escabeche is great served plain, with chips or as a topping for many dishes.

entree: Enchiladas get a bad rep for being unhealthy – and they definitely can be – but they are a great way to feed a crowd. This recipe for potato & kale enchiladas looks like a good way to use my kale while putting a different spin on a classic. And it’s vegan!

side/entree: When I first decided to make this a mexican inspired meal plan, my first oh sh*t moment came with the fennel. Fennel is a favorite of mine & is divine on pizza, in pasta, shaved raw for salads. But for Mexican? It would do great as a slaw for any sort of taco, but I wanted more – until I came across these onion and fennel quesadillas. Other than the fennel and onion, I’ll be including some Swiss chard to really put these on the gourmet level.

salad: You always need to have a salad with a spread, especially one that has lots of spice. I’ll be putting both my arugula and my lettuces into this Avocado, Mango, Salad with Cilantro Citrus Vinaigrette. 

Plans for the weekend? Plans for your Local Box? Lettuce know your recipe ideas in the comment section!

Spring means crazy weekends of weddings, parties, festivals and so forth. While I love staying busy, I am missing my nice relaxing brunches. This week’s meal plan is going to be in celebration of those breakfasts and brunches missed. And who says eggs and pancakes are just for mornings? Try out these breakfast inspired meals any time of the day!

Sweet: Last week was full of tragedy from Boston to Texas and it has been amazing to see all the support from all over the world. In a shout out to our neighbors in West, I am going to try to make these Strawberry Cream Cheese Kolaches from Homesick Texan with our local strawberries. You can help support the relief effort in West on May 4th at Austin Bakes for West. There is still time to participate if you want to offer your baked goods at the bake sale!

Savory: This Cauliflower Bake looks like the perfect brunch recipe for my cauliflower and yellow onion. It’s also the sort of rich dish that needs a salad as an accompaniment, so I’ll use my lettuce to make a simple bright salad.

Flapjacks? Hot Cakes?: Whatever you call them, pancakes are such a treat. I can make an egg every morning and be happy, but carrot cake pancakes – now that is brunch! It’ll be the perfect recipe for my sweet baby carrots. She even tops the treats with cream cheese topping!

Eggs! Eggs are my go to for breakfast. I never seem to get those mid morning cravings when I’ve had an egg for breakfast – they deliver plenty of protein and enough fat to keep me full. This Skinny Omellete from 101 cookbooks looks unbelievable. I’ll be stuffing mine with microgreens and thinly sliced radishes. She mentions a ricotta with lemon and herbs as an easy spread, so that’s what I’ll do with my dill! If you’ve read this blog at all, you already know I am a fan of the fried egg. It goes on everything. While it usually requires no recipe to whip up delicious veggies and top with an egg, I have to share this pretty picture & recipe from Love & Lemons for kale, egg & avocado toast!

Juice it! When in doubt, juice it. Try out a Kale, Carrot, Apple & Juice or try this Strawberry Kale Smoothie – a sure way to sneak in those greens for the kids!

Happy brunching! Lettuce know your favorite breakfasts in the comments!