So you guys want to hear about one of the super fun perks that is available here at the new job?
A weekly produce delivery service!
Our company has an account with Field Goods, a subscription-based delivery service that offers produce and other items from small, local farms. There are a number of different subscriptions that you can sign up for, including various sizes of produce (veggies, fruit, or both), local cheeses, breads, and herbs.
For the first few weeks that I was here, I noticed the bags that would come in (every Thursday morning) and was really intrigued by it, so I decided to check it out and order a subscription. Based on what I thought I’d need, I decided to go with the small fruit and veggie delivery, which costs $20.00 per week.
Yesterday just so happened to be my first bag, so I was really excited to check it out.
Inside this week’s bag were pea shoots (totally new to me),
Winesap apples,
Watermelon radishes (also new to me),
Kohlrabi (again, new to me…seeing a pattern?),
Rainbow carrots,
and a head of cabbage, which was actually added to my bag to replace the mushrooms that would have gone in. Field Goods tries to make every effort possible to give you a great bag of produce, so if there’s something you don’t like, they’ll try their best to replace it with something else.
Each week, along with the produce in the bag, you also get a list of everything, which farm they came from, the farming methods used for them, and a number of recipe ideas.
The recipe ideas actually also come via email at the beginning of the week, along with all of the items that will be in the bag. I thought that was cool, since it gives you somewhat of a heads up on what you can expect.
So right now, I’m kind of using this subscription on a trial basis (you can cancel anytime). I love the idea of having local, mostly organic produce delivered right to me; however, it’s very possible that I could wind up with many bags that look like this one…full of items I don’t typically buy or eat. On the one hand, I could use this to my advantage, as a way to try out new-to-me items. But on the other hand, I would hate to see myself get lazy and let anything go to waste.
So I guess we’ll see what happens with these new little gems! A few of the recipes that were sent sound pretty good, but I’m also going to check around some more for some others. That being said, if any of you have ever had/prepared any of the new-to-me items above, feel free to share any tips, tricks, or recipes! :)
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Last Night’s Dinner
So last night, once I got home from work, I immediately changed into my workout gear, knowing full well that if I sat down at all, I’d be done for. I started my workout with a quick, 10-minute bodyweight circuit and followed it up with a 30-minute walk on the treadmill. I’ll tell ya – it was SO nice to be able to get back into the swing of things! I’m really looking forward to (hopefully) getting back into a routine again.
Once I finished up with the workout, I changed into my cozies, and put together a quick dinner.
I was on my own, since Jay had to work late, and I wound up with a breakfast for dinner craving, so that’s what I went with.
Two slices of turkey bacon, 1 egg + 2 egg whites with sauteed spinach, tomatoes, feta cheese, and avocado (added after cooking),
And the last half of my cinnamon Greek yogurt bran muffins. Man, they were goooooood.
Once I finished up with dinner, it was time to veg on the couch. Unfortunately, Jay didn’t get home until late, so we only managed to get through about two of our bazillion DVR’d shows, but that’s alright…we’ve got a whole weekend ahead of us to catch up!
Now, I’m just anxiously waiting for 5:00 today, so we can go head on over to Joe and Kate’s house. Word on the street is that we’re having a Chipotle-inspired dinner this evening, complete with make your own bowl/taco/salads. Eeeeeeek, I’m so excited!!
Question for the Morning:
Have you ever subscribed to anything like a produce delivery service? Do you think it’s something you would be interested in doing?
That’s a very cool work perk! I love winesap apples; they’re so hard to find in the grocery store though.
That’s so awesome your work has that perk! I’ve never even seen some of those vegetables. My friend in college did a fruit of the month delivery she really liked, but personally I haven’t. Have a great Friday!!!
I always see those services and think they’d be amazing… and then I remember the *insert random veggie here* that I let die in my fridge every single week. We are TERRIBLE with going overboard at the store and then eating out all week. I blame the stress of having a six month old, but really, we’ve always done this. haha
I’m intrigued as well! I have never taken part in that kind of program but I wouldn’t mind giving it a try if the offer presented itself to me like it did to you at work! I think at the grocery store, often we steer away from the unknowns and gravitate towards what we know, so this is a good way to try new things! Very cool.
That is a great perk! I think I would try it but I would be nervous about getting items that I don’t typically use/buy. It would give you a chance to try new things though! :) I love breakfast for dinner. Happy Friday!
Thank you for sharing this! I checked out the site and it looks like my employer already participates and I had no idea! I am totally signing up!
I’ve seen mostly everything from your bag, but I’ve never actually used anything other than the carrots (used just like regular carrots, but multi-colored! :-)). I supposed winesap apples are just like other apples…?
I’m interested in finding a CSA around here, but the pickings are SLIM, which is odd. I live in the middle of farm country!
That’s a fantastic perk, though. If my job had it, I would take full advantage!
I did in the summer a few times, and likes it cause it had me try and eat things I usually would not. But at the same time things would sometimes be wasted if I did not like them or we just did not get around to using them.
We typically do a CSA every fall, but I forgot about it this year! I love being surprised with the veggies that we’re going to get.
Fun perk and a great way to come out of your comfort zone in the kitchen :)!
Oh my gosh that sounds really cool. I live in an area were we still go to the “Fruit and Veggie Man” for our fruit and veggies. It’s so nice… We go the the bakery for bread and the fruit and veggie man for produce… I LOVE the local aspect and I love how old school it is. Makes me feel old fashioned.
I have never subscribed to a food delivery service, but I think they sound very appealing! How awesome that they deliver your produce to work! I am excited to see what recipes you try for your “new” veggies!
Omg, that’s awesome! I’m totally jealous.
I”d love to have that opportunity! I feel like I’m constantly eating the same 4-5 veggies all the time, so it would nice to be exposed to such a variety! Snatch up this opportunity while you can, Courtney. Especially since it’s so well organized.
I did 1 of those subscriptions one time but it was a single trial and I did it right before I was going to have surgery. I thought I was being smart since grocery shopping might be hard. Surgery was cancelled and I ended up really sick in the hospital so most of the produce went bad. I should try one again someday.
I love supporting local farms! I think that’s such a great idea. And awesome that you are getting to try new vegetables. :)
Ahh that is indeed a great work perk! I think I would like to try this… I always mean to during the summer and then forget I guess? But yeah, I stick to the same produce so it would be fun to be given items I had to do something with, or waste them aka not an option :)
I work part time in a whole food store and restaurant and regularly order on line from them. I’m not sure I’d be in to the random bag as I always have meals planned but it’s nice to try something new. Pea Sprouts are amazing on sandwiches and in salads!
That delivery service sounds so neat! I thought I was pretty experienced when it came to veggies, but those are all new to me too. Can’t wait to see what you come up with. Have a great weekend!
I teach little kids how to grow their own veggies at the New York Botanical Garden through spring, summer, and fall, and kohlrabi is one of the veggies we plant. In the ground it actually looks like a giant alien spaceship, so kids love it. I’m not a huge fan of the taste myself, but you can eat it raw or saute it. Just make sure to take the skin off since it’s a little tough.
It has a taste similar to broccoli stems – but stronger and more earthy.
what an awesome job. i bet the kids love getting dirty and then trying the foods they grow. that’s really cool.
Haha it is a ton of fun. I like how it connects kids to where their food comes from. It’s amazing how many kids just think the food magically appears in the supermarket.
We have something very similar in the city where I work. It’s an organic produce delivery service. They have pre-arranged small, large and local boxes available or you can make up your own box. They also allow substitutions so that you can make sure you like everything you get. I LOVE it! It’s a great way to support local and to get affordable organic produce during the winter months.
Wow, very cool work perk, Courtney! It’s important to eating seasonally and locally when we can, so a service that takes care of those logistics is a winner in my book. A lot of the produce was new to me, too (pea shoots, say what?!), and I’m sure you’ll have some fun experimenting in the kitchen :) Happy Friday!
I have never subscribed to a service like this before, but I know some people that do and they love it! I’ve never heard of a lot of the items in your bag. Hopefully you will be able to create some unique and yummy dished with them!
What a cool idea! I had no idea services like that existed but rainbow carrots sound really intriguing to my carrot obsessed self haha also, your cinnamon bran muffins sound and look delicious!
Happy Friday :)
I have looked at doing the subscription produce delivery, but unfortunately all the options around here are too big for two people. It would be a great way to try new things though!
That is so cool! I would love to do this kind of delivery service. I love that it comes from local farmers. I’m with you though-most of that stuff is completely foreign to me!
I’ve never subscribed to anything like that, and it’s mostly because of the reasons you mentioned – that I’d end up with a lot of things that I don’t buy and don’t really have much of an interest in eating. If I want fresh and local then I just go to the farmer’s market and pick up whatever I need. I love the idea of getting creative and trying out new things, but in all honesty, I’m probably a little too lazy for that :lol:
I’ve never tried a produce delivery service like that, but I think it’s something I’d like to try once or twice maybe, to see how I like it. I agree, it’d be fun to try new foods outside my comfort zone, but then again the pressure of trying new foods (and learning how to properly clean them, chop them, and cook with them) every week would probably end up being more of a chore than I’m up for.
I got reallllllly sick after eating Chipotle my first time and can’t make myself eat it. It’s a shame because I heard it’s very good!!
That is a great perk court!
I used to be part of a food co-op but after getting some things I never used (or took the time to figure out WHAT to do with it) It wasn’t worth the money.. I just like to stick to my staples, I guess. :)
oh my goodness I picked the wrong career path! I would LOVE that! Fresh produce is my life lol
omg that’s amazing!! and $20?? SO REASONABLE!! i’ve never done any type of CSA program, but if there were one around me, i definitely would!!
Kohlrabi is one of my favorite veggies! just peel it, slice it up, shake a dash of salt over it and eat it raw…sooo good!
What a great delivery service! It sounds like a great way to get introduced to new produce!
I have been wanting to join something like that or a CSA for so long! It is perfect for my Weekly Bite section: http://bitesizewellness.com/category/the-weekly-bite/ (you can get some recipes for kohlrabi and lots of others!)
What a cool thing to be offered at your work. I have to admit though, if I ended up with a bag of pea shoots, watermelon radishes, and kohlrabi I’d have absolutely no clue what to do with them, ha! Good luck using them and I hope you’ll share whatever you come up with!
that’s sooooo cool. It’s like a CSA delivered right to work! I did a CSA last year and it was the best thing ever, i got tons of new-to-me vegetables that I loved learning how to prepare. Enjoy!
I subscribe to Door To Door organic delivery. I get the “bitty box” and get mixed veggies and fruit! Love it! Organic good for you food! And, I think it makes me try different stuff I normally wouldn’t buy! We have the option of substituting up to 5 different things. For instance, if you don’t want celery that week, you choose from a list of comparable things for instance Kale or 3 Sweet Potatoes, etc…
I have never subscribed to a produce delivery service, although I have been seeing a lot of it lately. I love the idea of it, but like you said, I am afraid that I would be wasteful since a lot of the items may not be foods that I use very often!
I’m not sure i would be able to do that lol especially if i didn’t like a lot of what was in my bag one week, i’d feel bad if it didn’t get eaten. but it would always be worth a try at least once!!
What a cool little deal you got goin’ on! I have to admit that most of that produce is new to me, too! Those muffins look fabulous, and good for you for getting a workout in! Hope you have a great weekend!
What an awesome service!! Based on the pictures, it seems like $20 is a good deal, too. And what a cool way to try out all kinds of foods you’ve never had before. I tend to shy away from buying things I’m not used to, but if someone delivers them to you, you sort of forced to try and use them! I totally wish we had something like that where I live.
I’ve never signed up for anything like that before…it sounds great, but it would definitely be a little challenge for me too because almost all of those items are things I’ve never eaten before, much less bought to cook with at home…You’ll have to let us know what recipes you come up with!
That is so neat! I wish my work did that with fruit, that way each week I had a supply of healthy snacks for my day.
Watermelon radishes are pretty tasty! I’ve never had them cooked but I have had them raw, sliced thin, sprinkled with seasoned sea salt and thought they were refreshing and yummy. They’re not ask spicy as standard radishes, the flavor is a little more mellow and they have a pretty pink (watermelon-color) inside, instead of white. They’d probably be good on your salads.
That is a flippin’ AWESOME work perk! I love that your company does that–sounds like an awesome company to work for.
I’ve used Farm Fresh to You and got to try out new fruits and veggies! It’s all from the local farms and organic. They include recipes for a couple of the vegetables that aren’t common in an average kitchen (for me, I was happy to find fennel recipes!).
So cool you’re doing the local produce thing : ) Nearly everyone here in Seattle does this, and I can’t wait to jump on the bandwagon. Near my condo there is also a co-operative gardening area, which I may just buy a piece of land on this Spring. It would be awesome to just walk up the hill, chop some herbs, pick a salad and be good to go! I vote you incorporate as many as you can, I’m sure it will be great to widen your palate and nourish the little one with yummy not-so-typical veggies! That’s awesome! Enjoy the weekend and Chipotle-inspired food. That sounds amazing!
I love getting produce, I belong to the CSA and every other week I get a big box of goodies that I love! What’s pretty cool is I can tell them I don’t like something and they won’t send it and just send me double of something else!!! It’s great that they have that program at your work! Have a great weekend!
We do during the summer months. It definitely takes you out of your comfort zone in the kitchen.. which can be a good thing! I will have to tell my bro about that service. I think he lives in your area…Clifton Park, NY
Ooooooh, I am so jealous! What an awesome perk! I’ve never done any type of produce delivery service but I would LOVE to try it. We have an amazing Farmer’s Market down here that is pretty great, so I can’t really complain! Happy Friday! :)
That is a cool work perk! We were in a CSA this summer and it was one of the best experiences, we even got to go work on the farm several times and I started creating their weekly recipe cards for the farm. Enjoy your veggies!
That produce delivery system sounds like a great perk to your working environment. It also sounds like a fantastic way for you to try out new to you fruits and veggies. I had not heard of several of those items, myself. Rainbow carrots, however? Yummy! I love carrots and there is just something so fun about eating different colored ones! ;)
i did freshology for a while and i *loved* it – however, it was super crazy expensive (even more so if you wanted to customize your meals based on what you like/don’t like) so i wasn’t able to keep it up for too long.. quick question(s): 1. what type of job do you work at now (i know there was prob a post earlier but i’m still new hehe) and 2) where can i find the greek yogurt muffin recipe? :)
I’m working as an office administrator/executive assistant for a local company. :)
And the muffins were from Price Chopper!
oh ok! :) i popped over to the chobani site and found this recipe for banana muffins w/greek yogurt i think ill try making tomorrow: http://chobani.com/kitchen/recipes/banana-muffins/
i’ll let u know how it turns out! :)
I had watermelon radishes and rainbow carrots in my garden.. nothing like pulling up some beautiful white and purple carrots. :)
Now that’s cool!
I’m looking forward to seeing what you do with all those crazy new vegetables! :)
That’s a cool subscription if you are into creating different meals with unusual veggies! I have never heard of a few of those! Some subscriptions are very handy if you actually will use everything. For example, my boyfriend subscribes to Mystery Tackle Box because he is really big into fishing and each month they send him different lures to try out.
That’s such a cool option! I love local product–enjoy!
Roast up those radishes like potatoes, then slice ’em and dip ’em in a horseradish aioli. SO good!
What a great co-op! Your BFD dinner is now making me crave something similar tonight. It sounds perfect for a long rainy Friday. :)
PS- I have to talk to you soon girly! :)
Very cool! I started getting a produce box similar to that about a year ago – they deliver to my home! They have similar options in terms of sizes of boxes, or just fruit or just veggies, I even do a “kid add-on”, so I get the new-to-me/weird produce that I have to try with the main box, but also some more familiar items that are more suited to my tastes buds, I can also choose how often I get it, every week, every other week,etc.
For anyone else in the Portland, OR area, check out Organics to You: http://organicstoyou.org/home/index.html
I’ve always been curious to try a service like that, but I’ve never actually done it. I think it would be a great thing to do with friends who live in your neighborhood, so that maybe you could split the cost and the benefits!
The produce delivery service sounds awesome. It seems like a great way to try new fruits and veggies. Let me know how you like the Kohlrabi. I have seen it before but wasn’t sure what to do with it!
I actually just started an organic delivery service a couple of months ago in Boston and it’s awesome! I love that it’s pretty cheap for all organic, fresh, and mainly local produce. Most of the stuff has been new to me too , which has gotten me to experiment in the kitchen more. I actually got watermelon radishes and kohlrabi in my box this week too. The watermelon radishes are so pretty when you cut them! This is my second time getting kohlrabi. I had never had it before but it’s definitely becoming a favorite. I’ve been cutting it into cubes and roasting it with olive oil, salt, and pepper. You should try it – simple and delicious!
I’ve thought about joining a CSA a few times… maybe this coming spring? I love the idea of having fresh produce selected for me every week and being forced to try some new stuff!
That is a SUPER cool perk! I would be all over that, it sounds like a great way to try new things :)
Depending on price I’d like to subscribe to a fruit and vege produce thing like that. I think it’d be a cool chance where you are forced to try new products but I also see what you mean when you get a bag of unknown and perhaps unwanted items haha.
Oh wow that’s definitely a loooot of cool and new to me veggies! I’ve heard of some of those, but I’ve never seen watermelon radish and Koreans are like, radish experts haha. I agree that if you’re diligent enough to cook with those then this delivery program sounds great! Otherwise, it would be easy to let them go to waste.
How cool! I recently tried Kohlrabi for the first time a few weeks ago. It is apart of the cabbage family, I included it in a slaw and I also used it in a veggie stir- fry, it was really good.
I have never subscribed to a produce-delivery service but i love love the idea of them! I think they are a great value/price and a great way to stay local. However..since I am single and live alone, sans roommates, I don’t know if I could go through a whole head of cabbage (for example) before it goes bad?
[also i just wanted to comment bc I have been reading and following along with your preggers new (congrats!!) and usually i read on my iphone but since I just moved and set up a desktop mac, I thought I would, finally! Love you and so excited for you guys and I love reading every day :) and ps – I start working 40+ hours a week this week, and I (am scared and) commend you for working out after work! that is my goal too!
I just subscribed to just such a thing. Here in Ohio it’s called Green bean delivery. I think it’s in other states too. Nice thing w it, I’m able to customize my order to fruits and veggies I will use or wish to try. And I can even throw in groceries… Many good items that would normally require a trip to the health food store for. I’m very excited for this. With four kids I’m always looking for ways to avoid a trek to the store. Super bonus that its local and mostly organic.
My inlaws grow the watermelon radishes in their back yard. We just chop them into chunks and then dip them into salty soy bean paste. The paste can be at the local Asian markets. They’ll normally heat up the paste in the wok and will sometimes add egg to the mixture.
produce delivery would be amazing! Thats what I run out of first in my house!
We did a farm share last summer and it was great. It was $400 for 4 months of produce. Each week we got about 10 pounds of produce from a local farm. It gave us the opportunity to try so many new things and recipes. Every Friday was like Christmas! haha You will love it!
That’s neat! A neighbor of mine does this with organics, getting them delivered to her door in a box. I considered it, but she said after a while, they would send her way too much of just one thing, like broccoli. And then what do you with ten heads of broccoli? I’d love to do something like that someday, but I think I am too plan-oriented when it comes to meal planning. All the poor veggies would probably end up rotting unless I knew they were coming ahead of time.
My old job used to have something like this too. I was pretty close to signing up but stopped because I wasn’t sure if I could use all the veggies I was given and was not adventurous enough to try new recipes. I would totally do it now though if I had the option.
I love the look of those watermelon radishes – I would totally support that service if I had it available in my area. I feel like local farmers are getting struck out by the big companies.
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