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Making the Most of Your Local Box

It’s easy to get excited about all the goodies in your Local Box! But sometimes it can be difficult to decide how you’re going to allot the items for the meals of the week.  Here are some guidelines to extend the life of your Greenling Local Box contents from me, a Local Box veteran! Do you have any tips? Tweet, post on Facebook, or comment here!

1. Be Nosy. Find out what’s coming in the Local Box before it shows up! Whether you’re on a weekly schedule or if you just pick and choose when to place an order, you’ll want to prepare for the upcoming week. Every Friday afternoon, you’ll see a list of contents for the upcoming week in the newsletter (aka the Field Report!) as well as listed here on the website for each city. This step should be completed by Sunday morning.

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2.  Be Lazy. Being Nosy (Step 1) allows you to be lazy in the coming week by MEAL PLANNING!  Sounds daunting, but it’s really word association food game… and much more fun than that spreadsheet you’re working on at the office on Friday afternoon. Just think: leeks… potatoes… hmmm…. potato leek soup!   Come up with 3 dishes that use some or all of the ingredients.  The Greenling recipe blog and previous Local Box meal plans are full of ideas if you’re stumped, especially for those exciting in-season items. Don’t worry about writing down the recipe, just bookmark it for later.

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3.  Be Greedy.  Don’t forget that you can add items to your Greenling order! Now’s the time to do it, since you’ve done the meal planning and you know what you need. Local chicken, canned tomatoes, local cream, herbs, Texas olive oil? They’ve got you covered!

3.  Be even Lazier! The day your Greenling Local Box arrives, plan a quick dinner that does NOT involve your new Local Box. This can be a night for takeout or leftovers or what’s left of last week’s Local Box. I like this quick dinner night because it leaves me lots of time in the evening to prep for the week ahead!

4.  Be Annoying.  Open your box. Take a photo. Instagram, Tweet, and Facebook the heck out of it.  This is a very important step. These veggies are super fresh and just begging to have their photo taken. Plus, you can use Greenling’s Refer A Friend coupon and get 10% off for doing it!

5.  Be a Grown Up.  Just this once, get a head start on your weekly meals! Take a look at the Local Box insert and follow instructions for storage. Should that tomato be refrigerated? No sir! Upon arrival, most veggies can be cleaned and prepped.  Give all the lovin’ you can to those veggies… your spouse can wait.

  • Leeks, spring onions, and greens (spinach, kale, etc.) should be rinsed in cold water in a large bowl.  The dirt will quickly settle at the bottom of the bowl. Leeks need a little more attention.  After they are rinsed, shake out the excess water.  The greens should be cradled (yes, it’s a term of love) in a paper napkin to absorb moisture, and stored in a plastic container, plastic bag, or in the vegetable drawer in your fridge.
  • For veggies with greens, separate the edible greens from the root. Wash the greens (not the roots) and store in separate plastic bags in the refrigerator.
  • Fruits with skins need a quick rinse (tomatoes, avocado, mango, etc). Yes, even if you don’t eat the skin (like mangoes) rinsing is recommended!
  • Berries, peaches, and other soft fruits should be rinsed only right before consuming. Take a peek inside the container and remove any mushy or moldy berries.
  • Live plants should be… planted! Most cut herbs should be stored with a bit of water in a jar, and loosely covered in plastic.
  • If you know you’ll be making something that requires cooked root veggies (potato salad, beet pizza, carrot & avocado salad, etc.), you can always roast, bake, or boil a few days in advance and store in the fridge. This is a great solution for lunchtime salads and quick weeknight dinners!

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6. Be Partial.  Use the Local Box insert to judge what to eat first, and how to store your fruits and veggies. Generally speaking, soft veggies and thin greens should be eaten first.  That’s okay though because the other tough leaves and root veggies can handle the favoritism.  They have a thicker skin. Root veggies and collard or mustard greens have a longer life.  Take this into account when you are going to Be Lazy (Step 2).

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7.  Be Frugal.  You are going to use every single bit of that box.  You paid for it, farmers and harvesters worked hard for it, and it’s something good you’re doing for the environment and your body! Eat the greens and the roots (carrots too!)  Keep those extra peels and cores and ends to make vegetable stock  - it’s so easy.  Make shredded salads and/or garnishes from the extra greens.

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8. Be courteous.  Leave your empty Greenling box along with any of the cooling packs on your doorstep for the next round. You might even leave a nice non-meltable treat (biscotti? a travel mug?) for the Greenling Delivery dude/dudette to show you appreciate him/her. It’s hot out there!

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You should tip for delivery and dashing good looks… don’t you think he deserves a tip?

 

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Let the Juices Run Down Your Chin

caskey peach

If you’ve been a frequent flyer of the Local Box the past few weeks, you’ve been lucky to experience a local peach or two from Rhew Orchards or Caskey Orchards, two of our peachiest local Farmer Heroes. If you’ve been missing out, you can add them to your basket now!

Located right outside of San Antonio in Floresville, TX, Rhew Orchards works year-round to get ready for peach season. The warm Texas weather and high elevations of Floresville provide excellent growing conditions for these tasty fruits. Currently, there are over 10,000 peach trees at Rhew Orchards, but this bounty comes from humble beginnings. The Rhew Farm started in 1973 as a cattle ranch by Frank Rhew and his father Frank Rhew Sr. After adding pecan and peach trees in the early 1980′s, they became a booming orchard! In addition to selling ripe peaches, Rhew Orchards sells pies, candies, pecans, cobblers, ice cream, breads, and homemade jams and jellies.

Like Frank Rhew, Farmer Hero Cliff Caskey of Caskey Orchards is one of the very few peach farmers to grow locally without the use of any chemicals. Caskey peaches are sometimes called ‘bathtub peaches’ (they’re so juicy you have to sit in a bathtub to eat them without making a mess), and quite a few bugs and other pests love them as much as we do. Cliff keeps his peach crop healthy through careful soil management, and by using naturally-occurring, organic fertilizers like compost.

We are so glad our local farmers go the extra mile to ensure the best peaches make it to your door. Cliff explains how he checks the sweetness of their Caskey peaches, and well “that’s good!” Peach season can be mighty fickle, so get ‘em while you can! We think if you miss out on these juicy, sweet local gems, it would just would be the pits!

 

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Get Your Local Buzz with FLF Coffee!

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Start your morning out with some locally roasted, organic love from our Local Food Heroes at Fresh Life Foods (FLF)! Meet Jeremy and Katy Standifer, owners and coffee bean purveyors of FLF, who also own The Life House coffee shop in Rockwall, Texas. FLF was started in 2010 by Katy and her mother Lynda. Fueled by their passion for organic food, Katy bakes amazing homemade goodies, and Jeremy roasts their coffee beans by hand. FLF and The Life House are an amazing local and organic success story, and we’re jazzed to be carrying FLF beans.

So what exactly does hand-roasted mean? First, Jeremy chooses the best Fair Trade, sustainably-grown beans. Although not all the beans are USDA certified organic (because of the high price of certification) all coffees are pesticide and chemical free, and workers are treated ethically. Next, the beans take an overseas trip to Rockwall. After the beans arrive at The Life House, Jeremy hand-roasts them in small batches in a homemade coffee roaster! The coffee is then packaged, labeled, and dropped off here at Greenling. The name Fresh Life Foods says it all– you can’t get coffee much fresher than this!

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Caffeine-eeny, meeny, miney, moe–there are tons of different brews to match your individual taste so espresso yourself and try them all!

The Life House Blend, Whole Bean
Flavor Profile:

This is the house blend at our shop in Rockwall, TX. It is combined to bring out the best aspects of this varietal while maintaining a smooth, satisfying cup. Soft lemon, subtle spices, and a smooth caramel finish, make this a wonderfully versatile coffee.
Roast: Medium/Bold
Aroma: Citrus, Spice, Bright
Start: Dark Chocolate, Mild lemon
Finish: Caramel, Nuttiness
Aftertaste: Smooth, Balanced

Peru Blend, Ground 
A great coffee for all situations, on the bolder side of Medium, this has a very smooth start with light floral notes and sweet chocolate body and clean aftertaste. This Peruvian coffee comes from the “La Florida” growing coop in the central Peruvian region.

Colombian, Ground
A wonderfully bold varietal with a great spicy bakers chocolate flavor, this is a great morning cup.

Ethiopian-SidamoWhole Bean
Ethiopian coffees are well known for their complex and intense flavors. We have roasted this varietal in a unique way to bring out the natural sweetness and depth of the fruity notes while maintaining the malty woodsy body that Ethiopian coffees are known for.

Roast: Medium/Bold
Aroma: Blackberry, Cherry,
Start: Dark cherry with malty notes.
Finish: Smooth woodsy, full bodied
Aftertaste: Lingering

Brazilian Chemical-Free Decaf, Whole Bean
Because this is a chemical-free decaf the flavor is retained and you can rest assured you are drinking only the best coffee. Very nice bright flavor with very little aftertaste.

Keep your beans at their freshest with these helpful tips:

* Store coffee in an airtight container, preferably glass or ceramic.
* Store coffee in a place that is cool, dark and dry. Find somewhere convenient, but away from its four main enemies, air, moisture, and sources of light and heat.
* Keep out of the fridge or freezer! Freezing is not good for coffee’s freshness because it causes some of the flavorful coffee oils to break down and (if the packaging isn’t airtight) the porous coffee will begin to taste like the inside of your freezer! Order just as much coffee as you need. We’re happy deliver fresh coffee to your door every week!

There’s nothing better than having fresh, locally-roasted organic FLF goodness in your cup. Plus, when coffee beans are delivered to your door, you don’t even have to leave the house to get your java fix! Once you’re caffeinated up and ready to start the day, we recommend taking a trip out to Rockwall to experience The Life House! We love their sandwiches (on Katy’s bread!) and their espresso drinks are pretty amazing. And did we mention those three little words? Breakfast all day!

 

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Easy, Tea-sy: Sun Tea

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It is no surprise to learn the month of June is… National Iced Tea month! With temperatures rising and the sun staying out past bedtime, iced tea is the perfect drink to cool down. Here at Greenling we have our favorite bottled versions: an assortment of Texas Teas and Sweet Leaf Tea. But we also want to drink our favorite loose leaf teas from zhi tea. Easy Tea-sy! Try Sun Tea!

We advise using black teas for Sun Tea. If you want to make an iced tea with a herbal tea, please steep as you would with hot tea, cool to room temperature and then pour over ice.

1. Grab a large glass jar. Sterilize your jar by washing thoroughly with hot water and soap!
2. We recommend 1/2 to 1 cup of tea per gallon of water; or 2:1 ratio of ounces of water per grams of tea. If you like to avoid loose leaves in your tea, use a coffee filter to bundle your tea leaves and tie tightly with a rubber band.
3. Now’s the time to add in a little something extra! We love adding sliced lemons, oranges, and limes. If you want to add herbs (mint or rosemary might be nice?) make sure you wash them well, and then give a twist to release their oils.
4. Cap the jar loosely and place in the sun. Let steep for 3 to 5 hours. If you wish to add sweetener, add it after the tea has been steeped.
5. Remove tea leaves, herbs, and mint and pour over ice! Garnish with additional herb sprig or cut fruit. Enjoy!

 

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Life’s a Peach!

texas peach

Forget beaches, we’ve got peaches! While you might feel like complaining as temperatures rise, just fill that mouth with a local peach instead. Juicy and sweet, it will most likely help you forget the heat!

Texas is known for its delightful peaches. And although we’ve been having a rough peach season this year, the weather has also made these peaches some of the most flavorful we’ve ever had! These treats are more than just tasty though, they also contain a nice supply of vitamin A and vitamin C. In fact their special mix of vitamins, minerals and water can literally make your skin glow!

Because of the warm weather and the late freezes Texas peach season has come a little early and might end a little early, so now is the time to dig in and eat yourself alotta peaches. If you are looking to bake these babies, we have a special “peaches, seconds“ product that includes peaches that might have some bruises, but are excellent in pies, smoothies and more! This week we have a pie crust and local whipping cream on sale for the perfect peach pie! Pretty peachin’ right?

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