A New Way of Buying Produce
I’m so thankful for grocery stores always having produce like, bananas, apples and spinach year round. My kids always have their favorite fruit to snack on, I can get fresh greens for a healthy salad or smoothie and I can pickup ingredients and produce for just about any recipe I may need, any time of the year, I am so blessed.
But… about two years ago I found on Facebook a lady near me who was selling and delivering local Produce Boxes. It was the height of summer and the melons, berries, tomatoes in her boxes where all so fresh and delicious! I couldn’t resist and got on her regular bi-weekly deliveries. That summer our home was filled with wonderful fresh produce.
A Change In Seasons
As fall and winter approached the contents of the boxes started to change. No more melons, or berries, or stone fruit but lots of butternut squash, walnuts (with the shell), potatoes, carrots, onions, apples… the fall and winter crops. I loved the new items but there was some foods I just didn’t know what to do with. It was no longer filled with easy snack fruit for my kids but vegetables that I had to find recipes for so we could cook and eat them.
This ended up being a blessing in disguise. Some food went to waste at first, because I just didn’t know what to do with them. On the other hand new foods became our new favorites. I didn’t know one of my husbands favorite soups was butternut squash soup until we had an abundance of butternut squash. My kids love raw broccoli and will grab the whole head before I can get the produce box into the kitchen. Walnuts, with the shell, became a great activity for my kids to learn that food, takes work. I’ve learned to cook seasonally.
A Better Life
The grocery store has everything I need for any recipe I want to make. Yet, I found I was still limiting myself by buying the same ingredients for the same recipes every time I went to the store. Having seasonal fruits and vegetables delivered to my door made me cook with fresh foods. In turn, expanding my recipe box and giving me the opportunity to learn new things. Eating seasonally has truly enriched our lives.
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