the veggie box

[ramtops]

[with apologies to brisingamen, cos I know she's disappointed with hers]

we've now been getting the veggie box for seven weeks, I think. It comes between 8.15 and 8.30 on a Tuesday morning, delivered from Riverford by a cheerful chap called Barney, and the invoice tells us he's running a marathon soon for charity, and would we like to sponsor him. The veg come in a reusable box, which folds flat, so Barney collects last week's box as he delivers this week's.

we can see what's coming in The Box from the web site, and we can add various items like milk and cream, organic charcoal and lemons and garlic, and more, - and one day soon I will remember to do this before the deadline of Sunday evening (in fact, I have just done it this moment). Every four weeks, we give Barney a cheque, and it all works like a dream.

but even better, I think, is that it has changed the way we eat. On Monday night, we had mushrooms, leeks and courgettes, lightly sautéd, to which I added cream and fresh oregano, eaten with a mound of pasta. Last night, we had roasted courgettes, carrots, new potatoes, red onion, and yellow pepper - tossed in good olive oil, with finely chopped garlic and chili, and served with couscous and coriander. Fresh food, simply cooked, and much better for us than meat.

and it takes more time to prepare veg from The Box - we have to wash it and trim it, so we spend more time cooking dinner, and less sitting in front of screens, either computers or televisions.

so I'm really pleased we got round to doing this - it's improved our lifestyle in several different ways. And I'm getting very good at soup made from vegetable scrag end :)

Comments

[brisingamen.livejournal.com]

This is exactly the kind of thing I expected to be getting ... even to the sense of community. Here, all I do is climb the stairs once a week, pick up a box, leave a box, and that's it. There's a note about my account once a month but no one answers email, though they read it.

We're almost certainly going to abandon ours at the end of this month, unless something amazing happens. There is only so much spinach or chard one can deal with without respite and we have reached our limit.

It's not that I mind eating like a Kentish peasant, but I'm willing to bet that at this time of year Kentish peasants were enjoying a somewhat wider range of seasonal veg than we are. Certainly, a visit to Canterbury farmers' market bears this out. We, meanwhile, are on carrots, potatoes, onions, spinach or chard every week, with a lettuce and some salad veg (and not much variety in that), and then a 'treat' ... the handful of tiny tomatoes, the squash, a few green beans (once only, never to be repeated). And to be honest, I don't think it's really worth the money we're paying for it. The vegetables are more and more frequently of indifferent quality, after the first few glorious weeks, and the lack of variety is mind-sapping.

Alas, Riverford don't deliver to this area – I checked – so I'm back to foraging as best i can. I think there's a farm shop out near Dover so I'll check that out. But it was a nobel experiment.

[ramtops.livejournal.com]

your lot sound like a bunch of cowboys, to be honest. Yesterday's box brought a beautiful hispi cabbage, some carrots and onions, a cos lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes, beetroot, and two lovely round red chilis.

last week we had two ears of sweetcorn in the box, which was a nice surprise. And some fennel. We get a bag of fresh herbs every now and again - last week was chives, and we've had sage, and basil.

I know I'm going to have to work out what to do with the inevitable brussels sprouts soon ...

I did a quick Google, and found Nash Nursery (http://www.nashnursery.co.uk/), who claim to be starting a box scheme in your area shortly. Might be worth trying them.

[brisingamen.livejournal.com]

I'm beginning to think they are ... the interesting stuff is always just a little, as though it's a treat, and often never quite enough for a decent meal. We have had cucumbers, beetroot, aubergines and herbs at various times, but nothing one can rely on, and I never know what's coming until it turns up. Except for carrots and onions, which I use a lot, and the inevitable large lettuce, and not even an interesting one.

I've contacted Nash Nurseries, to see what happens, and even volunteered as a pick-up point ... doubtless I'll find they're not delivering to this area but one keeps trying.

[timill]

Are you with Ripple Farm or Dabbs Place? Whichever, the other may be worth a try... (this was googling on "organic vegetable box folkestone").

[brisingamen.livejournal.com]

Currently I'm with Ripple ... I've just emailed the other place but as it's a Dartford postcode I suspect they may not deliver this far down. It's the problem I keep running into ... no one wants to deliver to Folkestone.