SCA okay

I just picked up my first vege box. On first look, the contents seemed a little disappointing. I was imagining masses and masses of produce, but it turns out that a small box really is only designed to feed one. The good thing about this is that it means that I can walk to the pickup spot from home (a very nice 20 minute walk, especially on a winter evening), pack everything into a backpack and walk home again. And even a small box presents its own challenges. Which is the point, right?

So what did I get in my box? 1 leek, 1 beetroot (sadly with the leaves cut off… I adore beetroot leaves), 5 giant cloves of elephant garlic, 2 cucumbers, 5 potatoes, 1 butternut pumpkin, a giant bunch of chinese broccoli, 2 oranges, 5 mandarins and 4 bananas.

The challenges for me are going to be the cucumbers and the chinese broccoli. I don’t normally eat cucumbers in salad in winter, and might try and do something else with them instead, like make a raita to have with curry, or cook them in butter. I’ve never cooked gai lan before, but it seems really easy and I love steamed greens.

I think I should be okay this week, and should manage to use everything up. But this entry about how to use up a vege box by a woman who is in the same scheme as me might come in handy for future weeks. I like that this is making me think about what I cook, and that it will hopefully have been eating better.

vegetables to my door

I signed up with an SCA style vegetable box scheme last week with food connect. I’m getting really sick of my erratic cooking patterns, and thought this might be a good way to get into a good routine while also eating lots of delicious things. I have been really craving vegetables lately, and am excited at the prospect of having a selection of seasonal, but otherwise potentially random vegetables delivered to me once a fortnight, and then being challenged to make delicious meals out of them.

So the next month or so will probably be an ode to vegetables. My blog is going to be rather foodie for a short while… but at least I’ll be updating!

In my first box on Monday I get chinese broccoli and beetroot. I love beetroot: in cream, in vinegar, in chocolate cake (!) … grated, roasted, or pureed. I love how red it makes your hands and fingers when you cut it and how versatile it is. But I have never made a beetroot soup or a beetroot rissotto. So I am looking forward to making one or the other this week, depending on how I feel.

It feels so good to be cooking a lot recently. I didn’t cook for a year, and now that I am back to a normal, healthy routine that makes me feel good and nourishes me, I’m finally starting to feel like myself again.