Author: Chef Todd
Do you want to cook simply and still ensure that your kitchen is only producing healthy meals? Then you are going to love the idea that I'm going to share with you today. I just received my first produce box! This produce box is filled with healthy, fresh ingredients that practically guarantee that I will be cooking light recipes all week.
Why A Produce Box?
Growing your own fresh vegetables can be fun and rewarding. I think it’s a big pain in the neck. The second best thing is going to your local farmers market to buy fresh fruits and vegetables that are grown in your community by your local farmer. However, I’ve discovered the next best thing to THAT! It’s a produce box that is delivered to my front door each week.
My Produce Box is an excellent example of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) that is now becoming very popular, and may now be available in your area.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
CSA is a way for the farmer to cooperate directly with his customers, as we all agree to purchase whatever is freshest and best from his farm this week. Each week’s box will contain different items based on the local conditions, not the national conditions and price futures; you work directly with the farm and farmer.
This is of great benefit to you, the farmer, your community, the earth, farm workers, and your local economy. Certainly there are many other benefits too, but the main reason I enjoy supporting my local farmers is that they supply the best TASTING ingredients. It’s something that many people aren’t aware of as they continually dull their palates with international flavorless food.
Even lettuce has a distinct flavor. People snicker when I say that, but it’s true. When you consider that all agriculture products take on the characteristics of the sun, soil, and water of where they’re grown you can believe that lettuces can be as different as wines.
Cook Simply
Besides having the best ingredients with the most nutritional quality and flavor, I love my weekly produce box because of the serendipity of opening the box. I don’t know what surprises I’ll find, but I’m always up to the challenge of being ready to cook whatever is in the box. I don’t try to over-complicate the basic fruits and vegetables within. I want to retain as much flavor and nutrition as possible, and this means I cook simply and easily using the best ingredients.
Why A Produce Box?
Growing your own fresh vegetables can be fun and rewarding. I think it’s a big pain in the neck. The second best thing is going to your local farmers market to buy fresh fruits and vegetables that are grown in your community by your local farmer. However, I’ve discovered the next best thing to THAT! It’s a produce box that is delivered to my front door each week.
My Produce Box is an excellent example of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) that is now becoming very popular, and may now be available in your area.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
CSA is a way for the farmer to cooperate directly with his customers, as we all agree to purchase whatever is freshest and best from his farm this week. Each week’s box will contain different items based on the local conditions, not the national conditions and price futures; you work directly with the farm and farmer.
This is of great benefit to you, the farmer, your community, the earth, farm workers, and your local economy. Certainly there are many other benefits too, but the main reason I enjoy supporting my local farmers is that they supply the best TASTING ingredients. It’s something that many people aren’t aware of as they continually dull their palates with international flavorless food.
Even lettuce has a distinct flavor. People snicker when I say that, but it’s true. When you consider that all agriculture products take on the characteristics of the sun, soil, and water of where they’re grown you can believe that lettuces can be as different as wines.
Cook Simply
Besides having the best ingredients with the most nutritional quality and flavor, I love my weekly produce box because of the serendipity of opening the box. I don’t know what surprises I’ll find, but I’m always up to the challenge of being ready to cook whatever is in the box. I don’t try to over-complicate the basic fruits and vegetables within. I want to retain as much flavor and nutrition as possible, and this means I cook simply and easily using the best ingredients.
It’s NOT More Expensive
The most common misconception about your local farmers market or CSA is that fresh ingredients are more expensive. Yes, they’re more expensive calorie-for-calorie than a microwavable meal with a mile-long ingredient list. But we’re not comparing garbage to apples.
If your local farmer just needs to pick the ingredient and deliver it to the farmers market or to your door in the case of a produce box, it can’t possibly be as expensive as internationally shipped produce. My farmer doesn’t have the cost of spraying his produce with wax. He doesn’t absorb the cost of the airline trip. My local farmer has much more pride in his work than the corporate produce distributor.
Fresh Ingredients Cook Better
It’s a fact. A fresher item is easier to cook than one that is falsely ripe. Tomatoes that are picked at a green color and then gassed to make them red for the long cross-country trip to your market are harder to cook than your local farm-fresh variety that was allowed to ripen on the vine.
If you want to cook simply and easily, have the freshest ingredients with the most nutritional value, and support your local community, explore the options of having fresh produce delivered to your door from your local farmer. You’ll enjoy food more.
The most common misconception about your local farmers market or CSA is that fresh ingredients are more expensive. Yes, they’re more expensive calorie-for-calorie than a microwavable meal with a mile-long ingredient list. But we’re not comparing garbage to apples.
If your local farmer just needs to pick the ingredient and deliver it to the farmers market or to your door in the case of a produce box, it can’t possibly be as expensive as internationally shipped produce. My farmer doesn’t have the cost of spraying his produce with wax. He doesn’t absorb the cost of the airline trip. My local farmer has much more pride in his work than the corporate produce distributor.
Fresh Ingredients Cook Better
It’s a fact. A fresher item is easier to cook than one that is falsely ripe. Tomatoes that are picked at a green color and then gassed to make them red for the long cross-country trip to your market are harder to cook than your local farm-fresh variety that was allowed to ripen on the vine.
If you want to cook simply and easily, have the freshest ingredients with the most nutritional value, and support your local community, explore the options of having fresh produce delivered to your door from your local farmer. You’ll enjoy food more.
