I’ve been going to a playgroup off and on with some other moms I know. You’re supposed to sign in, and there’s also the option to enter a draw for a food box. I wasn’t really sure what that meant, or if the food box was meant more for lower income families, so only entered the draw once, even though technically you can enter each time you’re there (so up to twice a week). Anyway, I guess I was lucky as I ended up winning!
The lady told me over the phone that it was for a co-op for local produce, and that I’d won a $15 size box. I drove there today to pick it up, and couldn’t find a parking spot nearby so ended up parking a little ways away. I hadn’t brough the mei tei, but didn’t think it would be a problem as I figured I could tuck the box mostly under one arm and have Meredith hold on on the other side. I got to where they were handing out the boxes, and all I saw were these enormous boxes. I was looking around trying to find the little $15 size, with no luck. The lady had been talking to someone else, but eventually got to me and it turned out, the enormous boxes were the $15 size. I had to run back to my car and drive up in front (where you’re not supposed to park) and have her watch for me and carry it out for me. There’s no way I could have carried the box and Meredith. And it’s on way too busy of a street to have her walking with me (which is how I got it into my house later).
She told me it’s all local and organic, even the stuff that states it’s a product of the USA. Something to do with how the buyer’s group works? I didn’t really get that, but there were a few other people waiting so I didn’t ask her to clarify. If we end up buying some next month I likely will though. Maybe it’s owned by a US company but grown here?
Anyway, we have tons of great produce now. I don’t want any of it to go to waste but what do people do with radishes anyway? I guess I’ll be doing lots of googling for recipes. All I remember about eating radishes was when our neighbour served them to us when we were kids. She soaked them in salt water and then sprinkled more salt on them before we ate them. Or am I thinking of rhubarb? The first thing Meredith went for were the tomatoes. This is funny because both her parents hate tomatoes. Well, Kris is trying to develop a taste for them and has been eating them more. I’ll have them cooked and in something, but not raw. She loves them though.
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Gosh, she looks so much like you in that first shot.
Cool about the bucket. We used to get one like that in Cranbrook. It was delivered to more back door and then I’d fill out the paper and leave money in the empty bucket for the next week it came. It was always organic and they bought the produce as close as possible. We got a $35 bucket and it was a huge amount! The only problem for me is that it’s cheaper for me to plan our meals around what I know is in season here and buy only what we need. Then I’m not trying to make a big whack of food work into meals and figure out what I need to make them work, yk?
Are you going to continue getting it?
Aw thanks Annie! I see mostly Kris in her but I have trouble seeing resemblances a lot of times. I think living with twins has made me really good at picking out differences instead of similarities haha. (My twin sisters don’t look at all alike to me.)
I know what you mean about planning the meals. I’m already finding it hard. I think it has good points and bad points though. This way, we’re getting some vegetables, like turnips, that while I like them, I’d never plan a meal with turnips. So it gives us some variety. But I’m worried some of it will go to waste (like the cabbage which neither of us like or the radishes), and it’s a lot of perishable food for three of us. Apparently there are smaller boxes. I’m not sure I could get even half that much food for that cheap though, so it might be worth it and any of it that starts to go bad I can freeze and use in stock. I wish I had a composter! What I keep meaning to do is go and have a look at the Food Roots markets, because their produce is fresh and in season and a lot cheaper than the grocery stores, and we’d have a choice on what to get.
I hate to see food go to waste too. Btw, turnips cubed and steamed are great in a stir fry as is cabbage. They also make good filler in a soup and if you aren’t fond of it you can shred it and put it in a stronger flavoured soup. At least that’s how I make some foods work when I have to.
A friend of mine picked me up some extra local produce recently and I had to make meals to go with each item. Hubbard, Kabocha and Acorn squash, the first two are easy to make meals with but I don’t always love Acorn. I’m going to do something with it when I make Seitan. She also brought me a whole bag of parsnips and yams so I’m doing a ton of roasted veggie version meals- chilli, shepherd’s pie…
Now I’m hungry!
Mmm, I wonder if shepherd’s pie would taste good with turnips as well as potatoes? There were some of each in the box! Thanks for the tips too. Soup is a great idea and so easy and yummy. We might end up giving some of it away, but since it was free that is no big deal and better than letting it go to waste for sure.
I love mashed turnips. You could do them with potato and/or yam. Yum! Did you end up using anything you wouldn’t normally?
I tagged you over on my blog! Muah!