Have I touted the delicious benefits of Farm Fresh Delivery? I receive a bin of fresh, seasonal, organic fruits and vegetables every week. They offer a standard selection that varies by week; also, they allow for modifications and substitutions if you don’t want a rutabaga and would prefer oranges.
I love that the bin comes with recipes for using the stuff. For example, I had never eaten fennel, and the fennel salad recipe was simple, healthful, and delicious. I’m licking my own produce section.
On the negative side, you can’t pick your own items, so you may get an apple with a mushy spot. And I’ve found that the shelf life for organics is half what it was for chemically-enhanced produce. Also, the website for updating produce is not the easiest to navigate. Not only do I have a short window to adjust the bin, if I miss the window, I have no clue what they are sending me! Difficult for menu planning.
OK enough. On to the recipe. I was inspired by a bunch of things I found in my bin this week and some potatoes from last week.
Add
2T butter and
1T olive oil
To a skillet on medium-high heat. While the butter foams, chop and add
One small yellow onion.
After onion has started to turn golden, add
One small bunch rainbow carrots (see note below)
One pound porcini or other mushrooms, chunked into quarters
Reduce heat to medium and stir occasionally until mushrooms have given up their water and all vegetables are golden. Add
3T whole wheat flour
and stir until mixture has cracker-y consistency and flour is turning gold. Deglaze the pan with
4T good red wine (I used cabernet). Slowly add
One teaspoon No-Beef stock base, dissolved in one cup warm water
1/2t black pepper
2t coarsely chopped parsley
2t finely chopped fresh rosemary.
Stir frequently. Once mixture has thickened (about 3 minutes), add
1/2c fat-free yogurt and
1/2c heavy cream (I know, these two ingredients are an oxymoron).
Simmer until thickened. Serve over garlic mashed potatoes.
I had fun inventing this recipe. You’ll note that there’s no salt added. That’s because the only drawback to the No-Beef base is that it is a bit too salty.
The purple carrots add a beautiful color to a sauce that could have been brownish grey. Hey, Pasta Queen, have you ever licked a purple carrot? (I promise that’s not as bad as it sounds!!!!)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Taste: [rate 3.5]
Ease: [rate 3]
I’ve never even *seen* a purple carrot before. How strange looking! I’ll have to look into this Farm Fresh Delivery program. I go to the grocery at least once a week simply because I need to get fruits and veggies. I could probably cut down on that if they were dropping them off at my door instead.
Yeah, Farm Fresh is great…if a little expensive. I do really like the convenience and the great selection.
I wanted so much to do this but it’s too much food for 1 person. I asked some friends to go halfsies but no one was interested. I have another friend who I’m going to ask though. Would be great!
We thought about joining our Irvington area CSA, which does offer half shares, but it’s still pretty pricey… someday. I don’t know if I can handle the guilt associated with NOT using some food.