Posts by Kathryn | Eating Out of the Local Box

About Kathryn

Kathryn fell in love with Greenling as a Local Box customer in 2010, and she hasn't missed a delivery since! These days she works in Sproutreach for Greenling, spreading the good word about local food to everyone in Central Texas. Kathryn is the voice behind Greenling Central Texas' Local Box meal plans, events, and the recipes that accompany Local Box deliveries each week. In her spare time, she serves as the Vice President of the Austin Food Blogger Alliance, and she is an aspiring Bikram yogi.

Author Archive | Kathryn

Houston Family and Food Events, January 7-11

By Kathryn on January 7, 2013 in Houston Events

January and February are big months for Houston farmers– mid-winter is a great growing season for greens, root veggies, citrus and more. This time of year is also great for getting out of the house and enjoying the cooler weather. Here are our picks for activities to enjoy in the next few weeks:

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Family Owl Prowl
Saturday, January 19, 6:30 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.
Houston Arboretum and Nature Center
$30 members, $40 non-members, children under 16, $10 each

Learn more about Houston’s fascinating owls, including Great Horned and Eastern Screech Owls, during which families can enjoy hot chocolate and cookies (for the kids) and wine and cheese (for the adults!). As a special treat, members of the Wildlife Center of Texas will be on hand with live owls just in case you miss spotting them in the forest. After the presentation, families will enjoy a hike through the woods, looking and listening for owls and other creatures that lurk in the darkness.

Tickets and more info at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center website.

The ICE at Discovery Green
Open daily through January 27, see website for daily operating hours
Discovery Green
$12 admission, includes skate rental

Get out of the house and move! The ICE at Discovery Green is a family-friendly activity for the winter time. The ice rink is open until January 27th, and ticket sales support Discovery Green’s year-round educational programming.

Check the ICE at Discovery Green website for more information.

Texas Organic Farmers and Growers Association Conference
February 7-10
Austin, Texas
$200 conference admission, $110 day pass

Although this conference is in Austin, it will be a hotspot for Houston organic farmers and growers as well. Jim Hightower is featured as the keynote speaker; other programming includes practical advice for organic growing practices and farming.

View the full conference program here.

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What is the Local Box?

By Kathryn on January 7, 2013 in Greenling Houston, Houston Local Box

This is an example of the Greenling Local Box. We always list the farms, so you know exactly where your food comes from!

The Local Box is Greenling’s signature product. It’s a weekly selection of super fresh, all local and sustainably grown produce straight from local farms. Contents rotate weekly and sometimes even daily, depending on what the farmers are growing each week. Although the contents of the Local Box change each week, the price is always $34.99, which includes recipes and free delivery.

You can order the Local Box from Greenling, along with all of your other groceries! We sell most of the items in the Local Box ala carte, and we carry a full grocery selection of local and organic items. That includes grass-fed and pastured meats, dairy, pantry items, prepared foods, and a whole host of other fruits and vegetables!

The Local Box is more than just a produce share, it’s a whole community! We include the names and locations of the farms where the produce is sourced, so that you can get to know area growers. We also include recipes and serving suggestions for the bounty. The picture above is a sample Local Box for the winter season, featuring a few of our Houston farmers. Check back with us to see the first Houston Local Box available for delivery.

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Local Turkeys are Flying!

By Kathryn on November 19, 2012 in News and Announcements, Slider

We’re in the home stretch for Thanksgiving, with just a few local, pastured birds available. The cut-off for delivery of these turkeys has passed. However, a limited number of these locally-raised birds are still available for pick-up! And to help them fly the coop before Thanksgiving, we have marked them 10% off.

To order your bird for pick-up:

Log-in or create your account at Greenling.com.
Place the turkey of your choice in your basket and check-out. You can see the local turkeys that are still available here. You’ll know you’ve finished placing your order once you see the confirmation screen that says “Great! You’re done.”
Call us at 512-440-8449 so that we can schedule a time for you to pick up your turkey.

Pick-ups are between 9 AM and 5 PM on Tuesday, November 20th or Wednesday, November 21st. If you don’t call us to arrange a time for pick-up, the turkey will be delivered on your regular delivery day after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Thanks for making local and organic food the centerpiece of your holiday table. And as always, lettuce know if you have any questions by calling 512-440-8449. We’ll have customer service staff available to help until 9 PM each night leading up to Turkey Day.

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We’re Okrajoyed!

By Kathryn on November 15, 2012 in Central Texas News, Greenling in the News

The steaks were high this election season, and you all made an effort to turnip at the polls. The results are in, and we have gouda news– you voted Greenling Best in Austin again!!

Being listed in the Chronicle’s Best of Austin readers’ poll is truly an unforkettable honor, and we are plattered that you’ve bestowed the honor of Best Local Food Company on us for the 6th year in a row! This year you also broccoli crowned us “Best Food/Groceries Delivery,” making Greenling the only local business to be recognized twice!

Since 2005, Greenling has been working hard to grow the local food movement in Central Texas. We are proud to be the largest single source for local food anywhere. Thanks to your support of local and sustainable food, Greenling has put hundreds of thousands of dollars back into the Central Texas economy, saved thousands of gallons of fuel, and helped heal the planet by working exclusively with sustainable farmers. It’s corny how much those things mean to us, and we are grapeful that they matter to you, too!

Thank you from the bottom of our artichoke hearts for recognizing our efforts. Together we can support small and larger local producers alike, and grow awareness of why local food matters. And don’t worry, no matter how many awards we win, we promise we’ll keep both feet in the soil!

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When the Local Box hands you lemons…

By Kathryn on September 4, 2012 in Central Texas Local Box

Make lemonade! At least, that’s what I’m going to do with the pretty little meyer lemons making an appearance in this week’s delivery. Besides lemons, we have other season-straddling produce like greens, winter squash, and persimmons arriving this week. These along with summery eggplant and okra make for a bit of a lopsided menu, but a tasty one nonetheless!

Meal one: the lettuce coming from Bluebonnet is ultra-tender, so I plan to use it in this Asian Pear, Persimmon, and Almond Salad. These varieties of pears and persimmons from Lightsey are both crunchy when ripe, so plan to slice them thinly and use them right away.

Meal two: Eggplant, zucchini, and okra come together in a one-dish wonder in Okra Ratatouille. This is the summer casserole I’ve been craving, with Meyer Lemonade for dessert.

Meal three: What to do with sweet potato greens? Fry ‘em up, move ‘em out! Here’s the old faithful recipe for Sauteed Sweet Potato Greens I’ve been cooking with all summer. If I feel adventurous this night, I’ll fold the cooked greens into a quesadilla and top with avocado slices. To make the quesadilla, simply cook the greens according to the instructions on the recipe, and then use them with shredded Monterrey Jack cheese to fill quesadillas– easy peasy!

Meal four: It’s hard to go wrong with Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash. This recipe from Austin-area blogger ATX Gluten Free is one of my favorites.