Fruit & Veg Box

#3

Veg:
-2 leeks
-1 red pepper (I've been wanting peppers lately and I JUST bought some!)
-1 head of lettuce (iceberg? or something similar)
-1/2 head of broccoli
-a few celery stalks
-2 carrots
-7 potatoes

Fruit:
-6 bananas
-6 plums
-5 apples
-5 pears

Last week to make use my leek I made this really yummy "vegetarian puy lentil lasagna" from BBC Food that I found. Actually it was better reheated which usually isn't the case. I definitely plan on making it again because I didn't use the right size lasagna dish so my propotions of everything were off. I think it was better reheated because I had too much cheese sauce so it was just all gooey until it solidified in the fridge (that sounds gross but you know what I mean!). I did make a few changes though - no onion (they are icky and hurt my tummy) and when I've been reheating it I've shredded some cheddar cheese on top which made it SO much yummier! Next time I make it, I'm leaving out the parm and going cheddar.

I haven't really learned any lessons these last two weeks...except to make sure I eat my veggies! I waited to long on the broccoli and it got a bit funky and I still haven't used last weeks potatoes (they started growing sprouts and must be consumed!) and carrots. I'm definitely going to make some type of vegetable soup/stew this week to use it all! For the Jerusalem artichokes I just made a mash with potatoes which was all right. My friends suggested making an au gratin with them. Deffo on the cards the next time I get them! Also I tried the grapefruit with sugar and it was okay - if I get them again, I'll man up and eat them. One got mouldy really fast though.

I think I'm already getting tired of bananas and leeks. They just aren't very exciting. I'm tired of eating so many bananas at once (because they pretty much go from green to brown overnight at the same time) and there really isn't anything that I know of to make with them that's healthy. Yes, I could make banana bread, banana pudding, banana muffins, etc but that's really not entirely good for you unless I made a fruit salad but that would require going out and buying more fruits that "go" with bananas. Any suggestions?

Fruit & Veg Box #2

Today marks my second fruit and veg box! Before I list my new items, let's see what we learned over the last two weeks...
1. Do not wash beetroot before putting in the cupboard for storage. The beetroots will go moldy and you won't be able to try them. :(
2. Be prepared for all of your green bananas to turn yellow at the exact same moment and need to be eaten immediately.
3. The flavour of parsnips are very strong. The soup you make with parsnips, potatoes, and leek will taste only of them.
4. Kale does not taste good raw especially when you were under the impression that it was lettuce.

This week in my fruit box I got:
-2 clementines (there is the slight possibility these may be tangerines but I am fairly certain they're clems)
-2 grapefruits (not a fan...maybe there's something I can do with them {suggestions?} otherwise I may give them to a friend)
-9 green bananas
-3 kiwis (love!)
-3 tiny plums
-6 apples

In my veg box we have:
-1 extremely huge garlic bulb.
For an example of its hugeness, see one clove sitting next to a clove from a bulb I bought at a local grocery store.
-1 broccoli floret
-8 mushrooms (not sure the exact kind but something like button)
-6 potatoes
-1 leek
-4 carrots
-10 Jerusalem artichokes (which I had assumed were ginger since I'd never heard of the things)

Here's to another couple weeks of healthier eating!

Fruit & Veg Box

In order to eat better, I've decided I need to cut out some carbs and meat and eat more fruit and vegetables. Because it's easy, my meals usually consist of pasta or meat and potatoes. So last week I decided to get a box of fruit and vegetables delivered to my door fortnightly (every other Wednesday). I was stuck between two local Edinburgh farms but in the end I decided to go with East Coast Organics, mainly because they deliver on Wednesday and I don't have class so I'd be able to let them in.

Happily my first box came today! Sadly, they didn't buzz my flat so it was just sitting outside our building for who knows how long until my flatmate Sophie got home and saw it and brought it inside. I was quite angry about it at first since I'd been waiting around for it all day leaving me with a bit sour first impression of the farm. But my anger was (mostly) forgotten when I saw all my treasures.

I decided to go with the £6 fruit box and the £6 vegetable box. All the other boxes seemed like they'd just have way too much for just me. I offered to share it with my flatmates but neither of them were interested.

The veggies were nice and dirty, like they'd just been plucked from the earth. The web site said an average box came with 7 items (2 pounds of potatoes, 1 pound of carrots, 1 pound onions [these three will come in every box] and extras according to the season), I had specifically requested no onions so I really had no idea what I'd be getting. Here's what came:

-1 cauliflower (yum!)
-1 bag of salad (I prefer romaine or spinach leaves but I'll for myself to eat this kind...whatever kind it is)
-1 leek (never made anything with it but I've had leek and potato soup so I'll try to make something like that)
-4 carrots (always a good staple)
-6 potatoes (can't go wrong with them)
-5 beetroot (never had before! Suggestions??)
-2 parsnips (never cooked before - any ideas besides a soup?)

The website said I could expect 4-5 items (apples, bananas, oranges or clementines, pears, and kiwis and occasionally melons, lemons, and mangos). In the fruit box (or bag) I got:

 

-5 apples (that'll do)

-5 pears (really glad I got these, I have been wanting some pears)

-2 bunches of green bananas (I believe there are 8 or 9 in total. I'm glad they're green so I can eat other, riper things first)

-5 plums (yum! I love plums!)

I'm excited to see what this fruit and veggie scheme brings to my eating. Here's hoping I use fruit for snacks instead of chips or sweets and here's hoping I eat better dinners that are more filling with less calories. I'm not sure what I'll be making yet but I'm thinking of some soups for sure. I didn't use anything tonight because Sophie made me a yummy curry with chickpeas and spinach but I had a plum after! It should be an adventure!