Easy Dinners Using Local, Seasonal Veggies & Proteins
When you buy meat from local farmers like us at Autonomy Farms, you’re not just getting better flavor—you’re supporting sustainable agriculture, animal welfare, and the health of your family.
To make it even easier to enjoy your weekly haul, we’ve created a 7-day seasonal dinner menu using cuts from our beef, pork, chicken, and lamb. These recipes are designed for Southern California’s spring produce and busy family schedules: 5 simple weeknight meals and 2 special weekend recipes that make the most of in-season veggies like asparagus, snap peas, fennel, and citrus.
In this guide, you'll find:
- Meals that take 30 minutes or less (except our indulgent weekend dishes!)
- Recipes designed to complement the exact meats you’ll find at our farmers market stand or online
- Easy-to-follow instructions using ingredients available right now at local markets
- Family-friendly meals with a few elevated weekend options
Lemon Herb Chicken Legs with Asparagus & Farro (35 minutes)
Ingredients:
· 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs (sub boneless if you’d prefer)
· 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
· 1 cup farro
· 1 lemon (juice + zest)
· 2 tbsp olive oil
· 2 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 tsp salt
· 1/2 tsp black pepper
· 1 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. In a bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice/zest, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper.
3. Toss chicken in marinade and let sit for 10-15 minutes.
4. Start cooking farro according to package instructions (usually 25-30 min).
5. Place chicken skin-side up on a baking sheet, roast 20 minutes for bone in, or 15 minutes for boneless.
6. Add asparagus to the sheet, toss with a bit of oil and salt, roast 10-15 more minutes until chicken is cooked and skin is crisp.
7. Serve chicken and asparagus over farro with a squeeze of lemon.
Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps with Snap Peas (25 minutes)
Ingredients:
· 1.5 lbs ground beef
· 1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated
· 1 cup snap peas, julienned
· 1 carrot, shredded
· 2 green onions, sliced
· 2 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
· 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
· 1 tbsp sesame oil
· 1 tsp rice vinegar (optional)
· 1 tsp chili garlic sauce (optional)
Directions:
1. Heat sesame oil in a pan over medium heat.
2. Add garlic and ginger, sauté 30 seconds.
3. Add ground beef, cook until browned.
4. Stir in soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili sauce, and green onions. Cook 2 more minutes.
5. Wash and prep lettuce, snap peas, and carrots.
6. Serve beef mixture in lettuce leaves with snap peas and carrots on top.
Pork Chops with Fennel & Citrus Slaw (30 minutes)
Ingredients:
· 2 bone-in pork chops
· 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
· 1 orange, segmented
· 1 tbsp lemon juice
· 1 tbsp olive oil
· 1 tbsp chopped mint or parsley
· Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Salt and pepper pork chops generously.
2. Heat a skillet over medium-high, sear pork chops 4-5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, toss fennel with orange segments, lemon juice, olive oil, and herbs.
4. Season slaw with salt and pepper.
5. Serve pork chops topped with slaw.
Chicken & Spring Vegetable Stir-Fry (25 minutes)
Ingredients:
· 1 lb boneless chicken breast, sliced thin
· 1 cup asparagus, chopped
· 1 cup snap peas
· 3 spring onions or scallions, sliced
· 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
· 1 tbsp sesame oil
· 1 tsp cornstarch (optional, for thickening)
· 1 clove garlic, minced
· 1 tsp grated ginger
Directions:
1. Heat sesame oil in a wok or large skillet.
2. Add garlic and ginger, sauté 30 seconds.
3. Add chicken, cook 5-7 minutes until golden.
4. Add spring veggies and cook 3-5 minutes until just tender.
5. Stir in soy sauce. If thickening, dissolve cornstarch in 1 tbsp water and add.
6. Cook 12 more minutes and serve over rice or noodles.
Lamb Kofta Pitas with Yogurt Sauce (30 minutes)
Ingredients:
· 1 lb ground lamb
· 2 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 tsp cumin
· 1 tsp coriander
· 2 tbsp chopped parsley
· 2 tbsp chopped mint
· 1/2 tsp salt
· 4 pita breads
· 1 cup plain yogurt
· 1/2 cucumber, grated
· 1 tbsp lemon juice
· 1 tomato, diced
· 1/2 red onion, sliced
Directions:
1. Mix lamb, garlic, spices, herbs, and salt in a bowl.
2. Form into small logs or patties and grill or pan-fry 3-4 minutes per side.
3. Mix yogurt, cucumber, and lemon juice for sauce.
4. Serve kofta in pitas with yogurt sauce, tomato, and onion.
Braised Short Ribs with Spring Vegetables & Polenta (3 hours)
Ingredients:
· 2.5 lbs beef short ribs
· 1 onion, chopped
· 2 cloves garlic, smashed
· 1 cup red wine
· 2 cups beef broth
· 2 sprigs rosemary
· 1 cup polenta
· 1/2 lb fava beans or snap peas
· 1 bunch asparagus, chopped
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Brown short ribs in a Dutch oven or large pot.
3. Remove meat, saute onions and garlic.
4. Add wine, scrape browned bits, simmer 2 min.
5. Add broth and rosemary. Return meat to pot.
6. Cover and braise in oven for 2.5 hours.
7. Cook polenta per package instructions.
8. Saute veggies in olive oil until tender.
9. Serve ribs over polenta with vegetables on the side.
Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb with Roasted Carrots & Potatoes (45-60 minutes)
Ingredients:
· 1 rack of lamb (about 1.4 lbs)
· 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
· 1 tbsp olive oil
· 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
· 1 tbsp chopped thyme
· 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
· 1 lb baby potatoes, halved
· 1 bunch carrots, peeled
· Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Sear in a hot pan, 23 min per side.
3. Mix mustard, oil, herbs, and breadcrumbs. Press onto lamb.
4. Place lamb on baking sheet. Roast 20-25 minutes for medium-rare.
5. Toss carrots and potatoes with oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on separate tray for 30-40 minutes until tender.
6. Rest lamb 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with roasted vegetables.