Friday, July 11, 2008

My 1st Local Fresh Produce Delivery!

Wednesday afternoon was an exciting time. I rushed home from work eager to peak inside the cooler I left on the front porch to see what treats had been delivered. I knew I was to receive the "local produce basket" but what that meant, I wasn't quite sure.




It was my very first vegetable delivery by a local company (The Homefield Organic Food Co.)that delivers fresh local & organic produce grown on farms in our region. Some of the organic produce does come from further away (California/Mexico) so I chose not to have those items included in my order. In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint, I am trying my hardest to buy only local foods (including packaged goods). This is easy to do in the summer when produce is bountiful in this region - winter will be another story (stay tuned). I tried to do this last week at the local grocery chain and came home with a meagre selection of tomatoes, lettuce and mushrooms. Most other items were imported from far away places. The majority of packaged and canned goods were not local but I tried my hardest to stick to Canadian items such as cheese from Quebec and canned goods from Ontario.


I was completely surprise when I opened the lid of the cooler. For a mere $27, I got the following:



In case you can't see everything, here is a list:
  • strawberries
  • apples
  • cremini mushrooms
  • onion
  • bunch of beets
  • radishes
  • lettuce
  • zucchini
  • cucumber
  • rhubarb
  • potatoes
  • vine tomatoes
  • broccoli
  • snap peas
  • AND, 2 organic chocolate chip cookies that didn't make it past the front porch

I have to say, that is a lot more veggies than we would normally eat in one week so I think I'll be doing some frozen meals or soups. Regardless, I am pleased as punch with this service and blown away by the quality of produce that is grown just down the road. Now I don't have to get up at 7AM on Saturday to go to the Farmer's Market! Homefield Organic Food Co. also delivers a plethora of other items such as dairy, eggs, bread, grains, pasta, cereal and pantry items (sauces, pickles, beans, jams and bulk foods etc.)

Last night, I made a vegetarian "baked surprise" (LOL) that turned out very well. I used my fresh tomatoes and cremini mushrooms (among other things) in that dish. We also had the local potatoes which I roasted with rosemary from my own window-box garden. Fantastic!

Tonight I will bake a strawberry-rhubarb pie and prepare a salad of beets and snap peas. Another post to follow with pics!

Next year we will be buying a share in a local CSA for the summer, but for now the Homefield Organic Food Co. seems to be a sure thing! Look for a similar service in your area!



http://www.homefieldorganics.com/

1 comment:

Rachel said...

That is awesome! I love how you support local growers! Im sure it will inspire you to make some neat stuff that you normally wouldnt make!

Great blog!!