Monthly Meals Monday: July 2023

This publication is the first of a new series within the Gazette where the first Monday of each month, The Maple Press will share monthly meal plans with its readers. Weekly meal plans were shared in the past on the Gazette, however, sharing monthly will be a far simpler process.

Summer is in full swing with all the fresh produce. Planning seasonal meals is a wonderful way of becoming immersed in the season and enjoying the natural pace of real food. July's menu highlights the fresh berries, rhubarb, peaches, and greens that are in abundance in the garden.

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For lunches in July, two options are alternated throughout the week providing simplicity and variety. The Maple Press will be enjoying a vacation the second week of July resulting in no need to meal plan.

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Each week on Wednesdays is what The Maple Press likes to call "scraps supper" where a scrappy meal is thrown together using food items that are not needed to prepare dishes later in the week. This practice helps to eliminate food waste and makes meal planning far simpler. If there is a rare occasion where there are not enough food "scraps" to create a scrappy meal, dining out is the alternative.

Some dishes are listed without an accompanying image, which means the dish was thought up without any sourced inspiration to credit.

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Dessert is thrown together on whatever evening feels most fitting. The dessert item typically makes enough for a couple of evenings for enjoyment.

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Inspiration & recipe sources

Special thanks to...

Flourishing Foodie for creating the:

• Strawberry and Peach Salad recipe

• "The Best of Metropolitan Market" publication, containing the image of the grilled cheese with tomatoes and basil (the inspiration for the Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Tomato & Basil Pesto Filling)

The Lemon Apron for creating the:

• Mocha Chocolate Pudding recipe (the inspiration for the Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Croissants with Berries)

• Rhubarb Vanilla Custard Pie recipe

• Rhubarb Curd, Honey and Lime Strawberry Crepes recipe

• Diner Burgers, AKA Smash Burgers recipe (the inspiration for Burgers & Fries with Grilled Corn on the Cob)

• Pomegranate Molasses Pork Chops and Peaches recipe

• Peach Sour Cream Pie with Basil in a Pretzel Crust recipe

Brooklyn Supper for creating the:

• Savory Peach and Ricotta Tars with Basil Oil recipe

• Cherry and Peach Cornmeal Cobbler recipe

• Grilled Chicken and Peach Salad with Basil Vinaigrette recipe

My Diary of Us for creating the:

• Southern Fried Chicken, Spinach, and Berry Salad with Yogurt Chive Dressing recipe

• Easy Fluffy Pancakes recipe (the inspiration for the Pancakes & Berries with Eggs)

Half-Baked Harvest for creating the:

• Garlic Butter Creamed Spinach Salmon recipe

• Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken and Avocado Bacon Salad recipe

Bojon Gourmet for creating the:

• Gluten-Free Garlic Bread Bruschetta recipe (the inspiration for the Bruschetta served alongside the Garlic Butter Creamed Spinach Salmon)

Vindulge for creating the:

• Margherita Pizza recipe (the inspiration for Pizza with Side Salad)

Jamie Oliver for creating the:

• Salmon with Rhubarb Sauce & Tarragon Mayo recipe (the inspiration for Salmon with Rhubarb Sauce & Side Salad & Potatoes)

Food52 contributor Grant Melton for creating the:

• Honey-Butter Pork Chops with Rhubarb Sauce & Herby Peas recipe

Real Simple contributor Grace Elkus for creating the:

• Ginger-Lime Melon Salad recipe (the inspiration for the Melon Salad served alongside the Burgers & Fries with Grilled Corn on the Cob)

The Modern Proper for creating the:

• Grilled Flatbread with Burrata Cheese recipe (the inspiration for Grilled Cheesy Flatbread with Grilled Tomatoes & Squash)

The Original Dish for creating the:

• Green Goddess Salmon with Peach Salad recipe (the inspiration for the Salmon with Creamy Basil Sauce & Peach Salad)

Dennis the Prescott for creating the:

• Smoked Rosemary Garlic Beef Roast recipe

Delallo for creating the:

• Berry Trifle recipe (the inspiration for the Berry & Pound Cake Trifles)

Wood and Spoon for creating the:

• Peanut Butter Pie recipe

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Until next time,

The Maple Press

Talia di Napoli

Thanks to the enchanting effect of social media and the tantalizing images of Italian cuisine, an unscratchable itch for travel was born. No thanks to a fixed income and well-kept budget, that travel bug was not going to become a reality during the present moment. Failed attempts were then made, to re-create that authentic signature taste of handmade pizza. What should have been the desired taste of flavorful sun-grown tomatoes paired with wood-fire cooked dough and melted mozzarella, turned into gas oven burned store-bought crust and canned pizza sauce that was not going to cut it. Something had to be done. One of two things needed to happen: either a change in financial circumstance, to allow for international travel, or being miraculously gifted with the pizza-making abilities of a fourth-generation Napolitano. Neither was going to take place, as harsh reality is most cruel.

As if by the grace of the gods, a stroll through the freezer section at the local Whole Foods presented a third and most needed solution to this trivial dilemma. Talia di Napoli. This was the resolution to all the obstacles. Authentic, fresh, and unequivocally exquisite pizza made in Naples, Italy, and enjoyed at home. No need to travel, and no need to learn the art of true Italian pizzaiolos. Talia di Napoli found a way (inspiration from the extraterrestrial, perhaps?) to freeze-dry their fresh pizza, known as being cryofrozen, then sustainably shipped to the United States for unfortunate American’s to enjoy.

It’s nothing like traditional American frozen pizza. The flavors marvelously wake from their frozen slumber as if they never left the bel paese (beautiful country). All the passion, heritage, tradition, and locally sourced, high-quality ingredients come together in a taste that transports. It really is what they call, “pizza with a passport”. While Southern Italy is still on the bucket list, and the travel bug still itches from time to time, this will certainly do until then.

Until next time,

The Maple Press

Lunchbox Roundup

The school year has ended, which also means the end of home lunches sent to school. Each morning a quick moment was set aside to snap a photo of that day's lunch before it was hurried away to school. Some were shared in the weekly meal plans and some were created from what was on hand. Here is a lunchbox roundup of all the favorites this school year. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter + Jam Sandwich | Celery + Dip | Apple Slices | Cheesy Crackers | Granola Bar | Chocolate (the after-school report assured that every colorful sprinkle was still intact by lunchtime... SUCCESS!)

Bagel + Cream Cheese | Side Salad + Olive Oil Dressing | Yogurt + Jam | Cheesy Crackers | Granola Bar | Cookie

Antipasto Skewers + Pesto Sauce (Cheese on the side) | Carrots + Dip | Citrus | Chips | Chocolate Chunks * Meal Plan

Pasta + Cannellini Beans + Tomato Sauce | Side Salad + Olive Oil Dressing | Citrus Slices | Fruit Snacks * Meal Plan

Tuna Potato Salad | Coleslaw | Citrus Slices | Crackers | Cookie (the after-school report joyfully revealed that the Tuna Potato Salad was "sooooooooo good, mom!") * Meal Plan

Broccoli + Egg Fried Rice | Granola Bar | Yogurt + Jam | Citrus Slices. (the after-school report included a request for a second helping of the Broccoli + Egg Fried Rice... again, and again, and again!) * Meal Plan

Egg + Potato Salad (Cucumber on the side) | Crackers | Citrus Slices | Chocolate Chunks * Meal Plan

Peanut Butter + Jam Sandwich | Side Salad + Olive Oil Dressing | Sweet Peppers | Apple Slices | Watermelon

Thanks to PlanetBox, each lunch was a joy to create and a treat to use... seeing that each day the lunchbox was brought home with every tasty morsel eaten! It certainly helped that these lunches were made for a never-picky, first-grade foodie who prefers vegetables over grains most days of the week. Lunchtime will still be a wonderful part of the day during the Summer break from school, but there will always be a special kind of mealtime magic reserved for these home lunches sent to school. The idea that someday, the little hands that dive into this lunchbox won't be so little anymore, and that the owner of those squishy fingers will grow into a teenager who doesn't want mom to send them with lunch anymore, makes these moments all the more important. For now, it's worth every extra effort to thoughtfully make in those busy school day mornings.

Until next time,

The Maple Press