From time to time I will post images of something just dirt-on-the-roots, tastes-like-sunlight fresh that I have been lucky enough to come across and add to my kitchen. The source of these culinary miracles?
Washington's Green Grocer - http://www.washingtonsgreengrocer.com/
This is a small local business that sources the freshest in local (as much as possible) produce and delivers it to your door. Far from a faceless grocery delivery service, there is the worlds easiest web interface where you can make last minute changes to your weekly/biweekly or other box. You choose the frequency and size of your delivery- everything from a few pieces of fruit for your work lunch to a large box suitable for a large family who loves their veggies. There is an organic box for those who lean that way as well.
Each week the owner sends out a personal email and newsletter. I love that it lets you know where your food is coming from, what is coming into season, and what to salivate over until your next box!
I recently read the "The Ominvore's Dilemma" on the advice of a friend (the same one who recommended Washington's Green Grocer in fact!), and have become mildly obsessed with buying food locally. Its not some psydo-hippie do-gooder desire to save the world- you don't even need to get into a normative discussion. Rather, local stuff just tastes better. As a kid who grew up in that mid-western culinary wasteland of canned vegetables and homemade dishes that combined things from packages in new, delicious, and high-fructose-corn-syrup-tastic ways, the revelation that fruits and veggies taste better when they haven't been on a plane for 2 days and when in season was salvation. I mean, I know I don't preserve well packed in a box (the seats are very small on UA4662) traveling for 20 hours from a farm in the Philippines, I don't know why I ever expected a melon to!
Washington's Green Grocer runs cheaper that buying items in a supermarket in the district, even the unSafeway near my home. The produce is just out of this world, the delivery reliable, and my order has been perfect every time, even when I insist on substituting out all the potatoes and greens for more delicious kiwifruits (by the way, anyone have a recipe for kiwifruit, I have alot of them :-).
It has changed the way I cook and eat. A desire not to waste the delicious food I get every other week makes me innovate in my cooking, and has taught me to make quickie veggie dishes that are faster than waiting for a pizza, and much much better for me.
So enough fawning for now, but expect more. I am leaving town for a few weeks, and have stopped delivery until I get back. Once back, I will post a pic of my latest box, and as always, let you know what I do with the contents!
Thanks again Green Grocer for helping me fall in love with food!
Below is a sample email they send each week- I love how easy it is!
"Good Morning, we hope everyone had a great weekend!
We're starting to work our way back up the coast...with Georgia and the Carolinas coming on first...we should start to see some Virginia and PA produce in a few weeks.
We had hoped for some local baby spinach (PA) but our co-op had a mishap with a cooler over the weekend, and everything picked over the weekend froze in the cooler...not good! We should have some local baby spinach and chard for next week.
We will also be posting a harvesting schedule from one or two of our growers/co-ops so that you can see ROUGHLY when items will become available thoughout the season. That schedule will be on the website, and we'll send another email once it's posted.
okay...this week's list...
Romaine lettuce (Boston for organic box)
Sugar Snap Peas
Carrots w/ greens
Cucumbers
Grape Tomatoes
White Corn (Green Beans for organic box)
Vidalia Onions (Yellow Squash for organic box)
Tangelos
Grapefruit
Mango (Kiwi for organic box)
Bananas
Bosc Pears (D'Anjou Pears for organic box)
The newsletter is already up at...
http://www.washingtonsgreengrocer.com/news4-21-08.pdf
the link for making changes...
http://www.washingtonsgreengrocer.com
We hope everyone has a great week, we'll see you on delivery day!
Zeke and Lisa
Posts
1 comment:
Hey Joyce! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog--and I love yours, too!! I especially like it's local flavor--I'm totally into locally owned businesses and will definitely check out your posts for great spots to check out around town.
Post a Comment