Prep — Week of 19–23 October 2026

• Vaquero (Mon + Wed + Fri + Safa): 1 lb dry, rinsed and picked over. Water to cover by 2 inches, bay leaf, halved onion, 3 garlic cloves, a glug of olive oil.
• Boil 10 min, then the barest simmer, lid ajar. A bubble every second or two. A hard boil splits the skins.
• 1½–2 hours. Top up with hot water so they stay covered. Done when a bean mashes against the roof of your mouth with no bite at the centre.
• Salt in the first half hour, again at the end.
• Pull 1 cup plain beans for Safa before the final salt.
• Keep the cooking liquid. Freeze half the pot flat, labelled.

Dutch oven at 325°F instead, once the sheets are out, if you would rather not watch them.

• Farro (Mon + Wed + Thu): 1 cup dry, rinsed until clear, 1¾ cups water, ½ tsp salt. High pressure 10 min, natural release 10. Drain, spread on a tray to cool.

• Eggs (Mon + breakfasts): 6 eggs, boiling water, 9 min, into cold water.
• Store unpeeled.

• Sweet potatoes (Safa, all week): 3 whole, pierced all over, straight on the rack. In first, 45–55 min, until a knife slides through. No oil, no salt.
• Sheet A — sprouts + broccolini (Wed + Thu): 1 lb sprouts halved, 1 bunch broccolini, 2 tbsp oil, salt, pepper. Single layer, cut side down. 25 min, untouched.
• Sheet B — butternut squash (Wed + Safa): 1 small squash in ¾-inch cubes, 1 tbsp oil. 35 min.
• Sheet C — carrots (Mon + Wed + Safa): half the bag in sticks, 1 tbsp oil. 30 min. Other half stays raw for Thu.
• Pull plain unoiled squash and carrot onto a corner before seasoning — Safa's.

Start while the Instant Pot runs. Cool fully before boxing.

• Tali sauce (Wed + Thu): ¼ cup olive oil · ¼ cup water · ¼ cup nutritional yeast · juice of 1 lemon · 3 garlic cloves · ⅓ cup cooked beans · ½ tsp mustard powder · ¼ tsp each cumin, curry powder, turmeric, salt, garlic salt, onion salt · ⅛ tsp cayenne.
• Blend a full minute.
• Keeps a week. Loosen with water before serving.

• Purple cabbage (Mon + Tue + Wed): shave thin. Bag dry and undressed. Dress a handful at a time, 10 min before eating.
• Fennel (Mon–Wed): shave half, bag with the cabbage. Keep the other half whole for Thu.
• Spring onions (all week): slice both bunches, jar with a paper towel.

• Plain beans, plain farro, plain squash, plain carrot sticks, 2 plain sprouts chopped small.
• Sweet potatoes: skins off once cool. Half mashed into a tub, half in finger-sized strips. Snack all week.
• Label each. No honey. No whole nuts.
• Mash the beans with a fork before serving — whole beans are a choking size.