This morning, around 4:20 am, we received a special delivery on our porch. The boxes were here!
Here is what was inside:
For all of you list makers (like me :)), here is the list:
2 Valencia Oranges, 4 Jonagold Apples, 3 Fuji Apples, 1.5lb Autumn Royal Grapes, 5 Black Plums (oh, no…more plums!), 1 Pint Strawberries, 2 Bunches Broccoli, 1 Bunch Purple Carrots, 2 Heads of Red Leaf Lettuce, 1 Bulb, Garlic, 1 lb Yellow Onion, 1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes, 1 Cauliflower (not my husbands favorite), 1 lb Sweet Gypsy Peppers (yes, more peppers), 1 Bunch of Radishes, 1 Bunch Beets, 1 Bunch Nantes Carrots, and 1 Bunch Red Russian Kale.
I am thankful for this bounty we have received. Well, most of it…I must admit, I am already pondering what will be done with the kale and the peppers. Also, there are more plums, but not so many this time. But, no need to worry, creativity will prevail…or at least, that is the plan :).
So, here is what this beautiful produce looks like when it is all prepped and ready to use. Like usual, we are excited to eat it when we see how colorful it is and it is so easy to enjoy.
This week, I also cooked a few items to prep them even further. I did the first steps of Broccoli Cheese Soup, I roasted beets (while it was still cool out), and I cooked the purple carrots for baby food for my little one. I will follow this post up with recipes and instructions.
Last but not least, for those who viewed the photo of our sad, empty fridge, here it is, back to its colorful self. Tuesday’s produce prep day has been a success!
Hi Diane,
Please tell me about storing produce in jars!. Looks like it might be more effective than plastic bags… Me ke aloha, Emily
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Hi Emily,
I am so thankful for my mason jars. They are not only reasonably priced and reusable, they keep the air away from the produce which helps it to last longer. All of the produce has lasted one week or more in these jars, even when washed and prepped. The only fruit I do not wash before putting it in the jars are the berries. I even put cut up apples with a little lemon juice in a jar for snacking. We have found we are eating so much more fresh produce and so much less when it comes to other snack food. I am also cooking more, even when busy.
I will undoubtedly continue to store my produce this way. It has helped me to stop wasting what I buy and to use it.
Thanks for asking Emily!
As for what to do with the kale, may I heartily recommend Kale chips? Though it might defeat the purpose of having healthy food on hand, but might tasty (recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/baked-kale-chips/detail.aspx) Or, even less healthy is a home-made version of Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana (recipe: http://squidly.com/2005/10/31/zuppa-tuscanatoscana/) For peppers I only either do fajitas or eat them raw w/ homemade hummus, so I can’t help you much there. For the cauliflower, have you ever tried cauliflower mash (it’s all the rage on the Paleo diet since they can’t eat mashed potatoes and if you season it w/ broth and garlic you can’t really tell the difference, IMO – recipe: http://ieatloveandrun2.wordpress.com/2011/07/23/sequal-to-southern-men-proof-mash). Great job on keeping on top of processing and using all that produce. Far too often stuff spoils in my crisper b/c I don’t use it. Great idea for prepping it and storing it in mason jars. I hate using (and disposing of) zip loc bags for that purpose…
Thank you so much for the great suggestions! I will have to try those! I really appreciate it! The soup sounds especially good! I’ll let you know how it goes!