Grocery shopping tips during Coronavirus quarantine #2

[Midwestmom2019]

DH and I went to Salvaggio's yesterday after picking up a book curbside at the library. We've rarely been in Nino's late in the day (4:30). Store was pretty crowded, and there were obvious gaps on shelves. Some produce was being restocked during our visit. We got everything on our list and won't need to return over the holiday weekend when the market will probably be very busy.

I have 2/3 of a tub of Ricotta left over from the lamb-stuffed eggplant that I made last week. The only dish that I make with Ricotta is spinach-stuffed shells that is typically something that I make in the winter. I made a cheesecake with Ricotta once, and it just wasn't the same as a real New York cheesecake. DH loves any type of pasta and said that he'd cook the shells and assemble in casserole if I do the spinach filling prep. We'll have stuffed shells tonight.

DH said he'd like to have corn with our all-American burgers tomorrow. Loose ears of scrawny-looking corn in an outside bench were 99 cents each! It's too early for Michigan corn and that's pretty much the only corn on the cob we'll eat. In the produce department, there were shucked ears of corn in 5-pack tray that look good, so we will each have an ear tomorrow, and I'll use the rest for black bean salsa/salad. Even though we're not hosting the annual family barbeque, I plan to make baked beans because it's tradition Beautiful Georgia peaches will be perfect when grilled with butter and brown sugar.

Reading your posts is like following a national tv cooking star. I’m always hungry when you’ve described what’s happening in your kitchen. Stuffed shells. One of our family’s favorites. Chopped fresh basil makes the difference. A handful of fresh parsley, too. I wonder if a cubed tomato gently incorporated in with the ricotta cheese and spinach mixture would be good. Color would be pretty, for sure. Hmmm. Or sun dried and in olive oil.
ETA: cut up into smaller pieces. Very Italiano: green, white and red. Yum.

 

[Midwestmom2019]

No, you’re right, tearing is better than using any type of knife. I can keep a head of iceberg for so long anyway, it never occurred to me to try and store it longer. Until these crazy times, when I’m actually avoiding going to the store anymore than necessary. So now, I need to buy maybe two heads of iceberg at a time. I think I’ll try this storage method with my Extend bags as I don’t really have room for containers or jars.

Iceberg lettuce, from what I read, is the least nutritious of the lettuce family. Basically useless. I’ll reach for Bibb bc it’s tasty and crunchy, or leaf, red tipped if available. But it’s hard to make lettuce wedges smothered in blue cheese dressing without iceberg.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Reading your posts is like following a national tv cooking star. I’m always hungry when you’ve described what’s happening in your kitchen. Stuffed shells. One of our family’s favorites. Chopped fresh basil makes the difference. A handful of fresh parsley, too. I wonder if a cubed tomato gently incorporated in with the ricotta cheese and spinach mixture would be good. Color would be pretty, for sure. Hmmm. Or sun dried and in olive oil.
ETA: cut up into smaller pieces. Very Italiano: green, white and red. Yum.

You are so sweet Thank you for your kind thoughts. I'm going to add bacon, shallot, and fresh mozzarella to the spinach/Ricotta mixture. Sometimes I add Italian sausage. I have one shallot, and we got 1/2 pound thick-sliced bacon for my baked beans. I don't need all of it for the beans and will use two or three strips with the spinach. I always add freshly grated nutmeg to dishes with spinach - actually, any dark, leafy greens. I never thought of adding fresh or sundried tomatoes, but we got two cartons of grape tomatoes, so I will add some of those to the mixture, as well. Thanks for the tip

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Iceberg lettuce, from what I read, is the least nutritious of the lettuce family. Basically useless. I’ll reach for Bibb bc it’s tasty and crunchy, or leaf, red tipped if available. But it’s hard to make lettuce wedges smothered in blue cheese dressing without iceberg.

Iceberg was the only lettuce that we ever had at home when I was growing up. Boring. I haven't bought it for years because there is now such a wide variety of lettuces and greens from which to choose.

 

[neesaki]

Iceberg lettuce, from what I read, is the least nutritious of the lettuce family. Basically useless. I’ll reach for Bibb bc it’s tasty and crunchy, or leaf, red tipped if available. But it’s hard to make lettuce wedges smothered in blue cheese dressing without iceberg.

You’re right about the nutritional value. But we like the crisp crunchy quality and sweet refreshing flavor, so I use it mixed in with leaf lettuces and sometimes arugula. I can eat iceberg just by itself, love it with French dressing.
Now I’m craving it.
ETA: I love sun dried tomatoes too, mixed in with basil pesto sauce on sausage or chicken ravioli.

 

[Midwestmom2019]

You’re right about the nutritional value. But we like the crisp crunchy quality and sweet refreshing flavor, so I use it mixed in with leaf lettuces and sometimes arugula. I can eat iceberg just by itself, love it with French dressing.
Now I’m craving it.
ETA: I love sun dried tomatoes too, mixed in with basil pesto sauce on sausage or chicken ravioli.

Ok. I have to stop reading. I’m getting so motivated to cook but I have other pressing matters!!!!
However, thank goodness this and the garden threads are here. All the crime stuff is getting to me.
Basil pesto is my absolute favorite. Over anything. Grilled French bread rounds, tomato and mozzarella. Basil sprinkled over bubbling cheese. A little parsley, maybe garlic. Now how would a small piece of bacon go with that? Grilled first, then cut to fit top of bread? Grilled pesto, tomato, bacon and cheese appetizers.
STOP. STOP. STOP.

 

[killarney rose]

DH had a dr appt Wed. So we ventured out. bath and Body Works here has plenty of hand sanitizer in the regular and pocket sizes.

Went to the local Produce farm. Loaded up on fresh veggies. Today we will be having fresh creamed sweet corn, cream white peas, butterbeans, cucumber salad, okra, sliced tomatoes and fried sliced eggplant with fried cornbread.

 

[neesaki]

Ok. I have to stop reading. I’m getting so motivated to cook but I have other pressing matters!!!!
However, thank goodness this and the garden threads are here. All the crime stuff is getting to me.
Basil pesto is my absolute favorite. Over anything. Grilled French bread rounds, tomato and mozzarella. Basil sprinkled over bubbling cheese. A little parsley, maybe garlic. Now how would a small piece of bacon go with that? Grilled first, then cut to fit top of bread? Grilled pesto, tomato, bacon and cheese appetizers.
STOP. STOP. STOP.

You're right, gotta stop reading about food, making me too hungry..... I need to NOT eat!

 

[neesaki]

DH had a dr appt Wed. So we ventured out. bath and Body Works here has plenty of hand sanitizer in the regular and pocket sizes.

Went to the local Produce farm. Loaded up on fresh veggies. Today we will be having fresh creamed sweet corn, cream white peas, butterbeans, cucumber salad, okra, sliced tomatoes and fried sliced eggplant with fried cornbread.

Omg that sounds so good.... gotta go.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

We had grilled swordfish with my homemade basil pesto for dinner last night. There's one more meal's worth left, and it will be time to make more. Pesto is so versatile - love it!

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

You're right, gotta stop reading about food, making me too hungry..... I need to NOT eat!

I enjoy everyone's grocery, garden, and recipe posts. It creates a special bond among those of us participating on these threads We are known by the gardens we grow, groceries we buy, the recipes we share, and the foods that we eat

 

[MimosaMornings]

We get iceberg lettuce because it’s lower in vitamin k than some of the others.
(Due to Coumadin)

 

[oviedo]

You’re right about the nutritional value. But we like the crisp crunchy quality and sweet refreshing flavor, so I use it mixed in with leaf lettuces and sometimes arugula. I can eat iceberg just by itself, love it with French dressing.
Now I’m craving it.
ETA: I love sun dried tomatoes too, mixed in with basil pesto sauce on sausage or chicken ravioli.

It’s a value thing for me plus the taste and I mix it with spinach, red cabbage and the artisan lettuce from Aldi

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

DH had a dr appt Wed. So we ventured out. bath and Body Works here has plenty of hand sanitizer in the regular and pocket sizes.

Went to the local Produce farm. Loaded up on fresh veggies. Today we will be having fresh creamed sweet corn, cream white peas, butterbeans, cucumber salad, okra, sliced tomatoes and fried sliced eggplant with fried cornbread.

Okra is rarely seen in these parts. I've gotten it a few times when available, but I just don't seem to be able to prepare it well. When I was at Nino's right before Christmas last year, a customer asked me if I had seen okra in the produce department. I said that I don't often see it and asked if he was going to make gumbo. The 2# bag of uncooked jumbo shrimp in his cart was a hint Yes, he grew up in NOLA and always makes gumbo on Christmas Eve. Nino's didn't have fresh okra, but there was frozen okra in the freezer aisle.

 

[MimosaMornings]

Oh my gosh, now I’m thinking about fried okra. Fried squash too. Mmmm.

 

[PayrollNerd]

I went for my weekly grocery pick up. Holy Food Batman. 5 big brown paper bags full. And not just food either - a big bottle of hand sanitizer and paper napkins!!!!

I can’t even list it all and it took 2 photos to capture it all. I send the photos to the people I share with so they let me know what they’d like. But only if I don’t want it. Like how can I possibly eat 5 lbs of American cheese slices????

Oh and there was what I thought was a green avocado in the bottom of the bag. Nope. It was a mango. Yikes! I literally dropped it like a hot potato. It landed in the trash bag. No, I didn’t fish it out. Yup, washed with soap all the way up my arms.

 

[kalvis]

I enjoy everyone's grocery, garden, and recipe posts. It creates a special bond among those of us participating on these threads We are known by the gardens we grow, groceries we buy, the recipes we share, and the foods that we eat [/QUOTE

Awwwweee. So, sweet and beautifully written!

 

[Auntie Cipation]

Reading your posts is like following a national tv cooking star. I’m always hungry when you’ve described what’s happening in your kitchen. Stuffed shells. One of our family’s favorites. Chopped fresh basil makes the difference. A handful of fresh parsley, too. I wonder if a cubed tomato gently incorporated in with the ricotta cheese and spinach mixture would be good. Color would be pretty, for sure. Hmmm. Or sun dried and in olive oil.
ETA: cut up into smaller pieces. Very Italiano: green, white and red. Yum.

bbm this made me laugh because when I went to college at UCDavis about 1980, the big news from the university farm program was their attempts to grow tomatoes in a cube shape so they could pack them in boxes more efficiently for transport.

(I don't think it caught on, lol)

Iceberg lettuce, from what I read, is the least nutritious of the lettuce family. Basically useless. I’ll reach for Bibb bc it’s tasty and crunchy, or leaf, red tipped if available. But it’s hard to make lettuce wedges smothered in blue cheese dressing without iceberg.

I'll eat iceberg in restaurants in their salad or as garnish, but at home it's romaine all the way! I really need to learn to grow it -- and not just grow it but pace it so that there maybe 3 heads ready each week. Even damp towels won't help if I have 50 heads of lettuce come ready at once. I know lots if lettuces are "cut and come again" meaning you can cut the tops to eat and they keep growing, but there's something about the juiciness and crunch of romaine heads... ok, this all needs to go to the gardening thread, sorry

 

[mickey2942]

CSA Day: kohlrabi, interesting, I have never cooked or eaten this before. Kale, garlic scrapes, spinach, fresh peas, mint, eggs.

Costco: every thing is well stocked, no shortages of anything. Bought a package of sliced smoked beef brisket, my husband can eat this, so I don't have to cook any meat this week. Yay.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

CSA Day: kohlrabi, interesting, I have never cooked or eaten this before. Kale, garlic scrapes, spinach, fresh peas, mint, eggs.

Costco: every thing is well stocked, no shortages of anything. Bought a package of sliced smoked beef brisket, my husband can eat this, so I don't have to cook any meat this week. Yay.

My mom used to cook kohlrabi. I found it similar to turnips that we also had frequently, usually mashed with butter, salt, and pepper. Here's some recipes: https://www.thekitchn.com/5-tasty-ways-to-prepare-kohlrabi-60321

Fresh peas and mint would make a very nice pesto

The stuffed shells turned out well, and DH liked the surprise bites of bacon and tomato. I also prepped baked beans yesterday and will heat them in the slow cooker this afternoon. I told DH that I was done in the kitchen for the remainder of the weekend. He will grill burgers, corn, and peaches tonight. We'll do takeout tomorrow. Best wishes to everyone for a safe and happy 4th!