Box inclusions for 8.19-8.22
Sweet potatoes, mixed colored apples (Empire & Ginger Gold), zucchini, carrots, leeks, collard greens, fennel, sprouting cauliflower, shallots, assorted winter squash, mushrooms, and mint.
Box inclusions for 8.12-8.15
Empire apples, baked potato acorn squash, radish, lettuce, eggplant, red potatoes, leeks, bunches of baby red beets, cilantro, tomatoes, celery, and yellow onions.
THE DETAILS:
Our produce box is a half-bushel mixed seasonal produce box that includes a variety of items available from our partnered farms based on the time of year. We pack in half bushels and will deliver a full box valued per the grower's set retail price of at least $40.00. Boxes include between 10-12 different products weekly depending on quantities and values of each item included. Some weeks will have more variation, some less.
(The current week inclusions are listed above.)
We work with nearly 20 farms depending on the time of year and who is growing what. We do not require organic certification from the farmers, but many are certified or practice using only OMRI pesticides or follow Integrated Pest Management Practices. We know all of the farmers we work with and are proud to offer their items as they are seasonally available.
*EXCLUSIONS and SUBSTITUTIONS are not accepted.* We understand a pre-selected box is not a fit for everyone and support you purchasing directly from your local farmers to get exactly what you enjoy and what fits your family. Buy local!
The inclusions will change weekly, or even on days of the week, as availability presents itself from our farmer friends at collaborating farms.
Product Features:
Husk Cherries: Hard to find, these little gems are used in jams and baked goods, but we suggest just fresh eating them! They will keep for weeks in refrigeration and you can tell when they're most ripe/sweet when their husks turn totally yellow/brown and the "cherry" on the inside is yellow. I put them on my salads with goat cheese and nuts for a tart/sweet salad mix.
Golden Beets: We love all beets, but because red beets can make a bit of a mess with their dark color golden is a favorite around here. You can roast them to eat hot, or my preference is to boil them for 40 minutes and then run under cold water to easily slip off their skins. Chilled they make a wonderful addition to a salad.
Delicata Squash: Available only in the early part of squash season, this is my favorite because the skin can be eaten if you wish. Slice and scoop out the seeds and either roast as "boats" like you would any other squash, or cut into "moons" and roast that way. We like to slice into moons so they hold the most seasoning: a maple sugar and garlic mix is at the top of our list!
Tomatoes: We suggest you keep most everything in the refrigerator for best shelf life, but tomatoes are not in that group. Make sure to keep your tomatoes out on the counter so the cold doesn't make them mealy or zap out their flavor. We will cool them only just before we pack your boxes but our farmers and we store them at room temperature for maximum flavor.
Corn: PLEASE, please, no matter what you do: do NOT husk that corn until right before you use it! Keep it moist and cold in your refrigerator until you're going to use it. Drying out or removing the husk starts to convert the corn sugar to starches and quickly decreases the fresh corn quality. Never tried fresh, raw corn? We recommend it!
Herbs: If you won't be using your herbs fresh or right away, hang them up to naturally dry and enjoy them year-round!
GENERAL PRODUCT STORAGE & BEST HANDLING NOTES:
We are careful to select producers who use the most natural methods possible, so unlike much food in the grocery stores these products are not treated with the same coatings that preserve their longevity. With this in mind, we ask you to make sure that upon arrival you keep most of these veggies in the refrigerator.
Herbs keep best when their bottoms are slightly trimmed and they are stored in a bit of water upright in the refrigerator. All leafy greens can wilt a bit when they are at warmer temperatures. If any items with bases or stems such as lettuce heads, celery, or bunches of leafy greens are wilted at all you can snip their bases and submerge them in icy water to bring them back to life. Root vegetables like radish and turnip that have their tops can be eaten in full; green tops are delicious raw or cooked. To store radish and turnip type vegetables separate the greens from the root for refrigerator storage longevity. All roots and greens do best when kept mildly moist, so many people wrap them in a damp paper towel enclosed in a bag or container in the refrigerator to extend their life. With all of this in mind, our producers do not utilize chemicals post-harvest to extend the life of their vegetables so take care of them and consume them quickly.
