How subscribing to a monthly food basket and its wonders makes a drive back home feel hopeful.

Opportunities Are Calling.

It is shortly after lunch. On the way back home after picking up the monthly food basket we subscribe to. Reusable bags filled with fresh goodies and mouthwatering ideas swirling in the head. 

Strawberries will be for dessert tonight. Sweet potatoes can wait for a couple of days. Probably homemade “Grandma” fries. Maybe try a new recipe with the broccoli ? Getting kind of tired of the same old steamed stems… Anticipation rises as I am coming up with a plan for all the goodies standing there, right by my side.

Uncovering The Loot.

I brought her food basket wonders to my dear friend and we both delightfully talked about the load of produce that would be filling our upcoming days. Giggling. Savoring in advance what we will be preparing. 

You have to understand… Somehow, the food baskets bring us back to childhood. The little thrill, surprise effect, the tingling feeling in our stomach from when we used to buy a paper cone filled with silly favors at the local fair. Items that were definitely not worth the long wait in line ! But that tiny moment of discovery, unwrapping the delightful content ? Joyful. 

Except that, this time, the items hidden in the surprise package are sooo worth it ! Food. Eats for the family. Nourishment for the mind as we make up new ways to prepare the greens. A challenge too, a small one, and yet. To be given a set selection of fresh products and have to come up with a plan to both use them all before their days are gone and make the best of what we really-are-not-too-keen-on but have to introduce them to our weekly menu anyhow. Pure creativity !

Entering the kitchen. Time to clean the veggies and sort the savory display of colors on the counter. Inventorying the loot. This week will be fun !

Prep Time.

Zest the first orange and set it aside for chocolate-chip and orange cookies.

Enjoy peeled orange as a welcome mid-afternoon snack.

Finely chop an onion and grate carrots to prepare a tasty salad for starters tonight.

Cook the broccoli to go with chicken roast for dinner. Looks like they will be steamed again. Sigh.

Prepare grandma’s fries—oven roasted sweet potato fries, not deep fried—to go with the roast as well.

Zest the second orange after someone ate the first one, assuming it was from the carrot salad. Sigh. Sigh.

Peel the second orange and compare the flavor with a clementine. Orange is sweeter.

Fix a cream of asparagus to freeze for later on.

Prepare a hot ginger tea. Add the second orange zest as a special request.

Zest the last orange for the chocolate chip cookies. Will they ever happen ? Hmmm.

Prepare a Caesar salad for tomorrow’s lunch along with fajitas with the yellow pepper and onions.

Make a stir fry with kale and ginger for tomorrow’s dinner. Decide to add orange zest for a kick.

Oops.

Prepare ginger cookies. Who needs orange-chocolate cookies anyway ?

Nutrients Value : Health Summary Of Our Basket.

Our salad greens and kale were a perfect boost for fresh leafy greens and grandma’s fries made for a healthy snack, at night while watching a movie and to take out for a quick bite between meals. 

Immunity wise, onions and ginger were great. Those should be eaten on a daily basis for their health benefits and a little flavor kick. Adding grated ginger to bring out a spicy flavor, or drinking it in a hot teat for lingering effects.

The more delicate items like peppers and strawberries were great to add texture and depth to our preparations.

Our promising oranges were a great source of vitamin C and a welcome item for a quick invigorating snack. Broccoli, having an even greater concentration of vitamin C did beautifully as a side.

Plenty of food still to enjoy from that productive outing… But best of all : we can’t wait for the next food basket wonders !