The usual note: I do not grow the produce pictured, it is courtesy ofBoston Organics. Their mission is to deliver organic produce, focusing on convenience, variety and value. Whenever possible they support local & regional farms by providing as much produce as possible from the region. When they cannot provide local produce they receive produce from a variety of farms along the eastern seaboard, northern california, the pacific northwest, & tropical fruit from equal exchange organic farms in central america. My girlfriend and I receive a $29 dollar 1/2 fruit 1/2 vegetable box every other week.

The Rundown-

From around here:

1 lb Empire Apples (VT)

1 lb Carrots (MA)

1.5 lbs Red Potatoes (Prince Edward Island)

1 Green Cabbage (NY)

From Beyond:

1 White Grapefruit (FL)

1 Green Bell Pepper (FL)

2 Anjou Pears (WA)

2 Blood Oranges (CA)

6 Satsuma Mandarins (CA)

1 head Romaine Lettuce (CA) (the head of lettuce is HUGE)

From Even Further Beyond:

1 Bunch Broccoli (Mexico)

1.5 lbs Bananas (Ecuador)

I am really pleased with the quality of all the items in our box this week. Some sort of slaw looks to be in my future. The broccoli & green pepper will most likely be stir fried with a butternut squash which was received in a previous box.

If any readers have tips for what to do with some of the produce feel free to share!

2 pots of Chili & Rosemary Bread

Weekend cooking included:

2 pots of chili:

Vegetarian Chili (top) Stew Meat & Leftover Steak Chili (bottom)

2 Chili's. 2 methods. The vegetarian chili was cooked slow & low on the stove while the carnivore's chili was cooked slow and low on the crock pot.

Chili Basics:

2 Cans each: Black Beans, Kidney Beans, Pinto Beans

multiple cans of tomato: peeled, diced, whole (any variety)

3-4 fresh tomatoes diced

1 can chipotle in adobo

yellow onions

2 green bell peppers

various other peppers (your choice depending on how hot you like it)

3-6 cloves of garlic finely minced

black pepper

chili powder

dried peppers

chili oil

multiple pieces very dark chocolate

cocoa-chili powder blend.

1/4-1/2 cup dark delicious beer.

For Vegetarian Chili: 1 cup frozen corn

For Meat Chili: Meats you like. I prefer a ground beef, stew meat, sausage mixture (For the chili pictured I used stew meat and leftover steak)

Mix well. Cook on low for a LONG time, stirring often.

I have not posted portions/measurements because a good chili takes much mastery, and the portions of the various ingredients are really up to the cook. I won't divulge my exact chili recipe because it is constantly changing and my lil secret :-).

The lady and I now have multiple jars of both vegetarian and meatastic chili frozen for the near future!

Rosemary Bread:

The lady and I recently acquired a slightly used Bread Maker from the ladies parents. I've been working on mastering the machine and making my own bread. The Rosemary Bread is easily my most successful attempt to date:

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

2 1/2 cups bread flour

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast.

Place ingredients in bread maker as recommended by manufacturer. Set to White Bread.

The bread came out fluffy, delicious and flavorful. I used a homemade herb infused olive oil.

I would be remiss if I did not point out my hilarious kitchen (mis)adventure:

Before I set out to make the rosemary bread I was attempting to make a beer bread when I inadvertently substituted confectioners sugar for flour. Luckily I noticed this before the machine was turned on. It ended with a positive though: Rosemary Bread!

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Wayland Winter Farmer's Market!

This past saturday was the 1st Wayland Winter Farmer's Market. Held at the wonderful Russell's Garden Center the various vendors were dispersed throughout the store amid living breathing plants (a lovely sight for mid-winter).

Here is a rundown of some of the goods we picked up:

1 lb of Stew Meat from Springdell Farm

2 lbs of almond granola from the folks at BOLA Granola

1 container of Zesty Ful Medammes & 1 container of Jalapeno Hummus from Samira's Homemade (as well as flatbread)

2 jars of Number 9 salsa from Paino Organics

HUGE radishes, carrots & beets (not pictured onions & baby bok choy) from Red Fire Farm.

It was great to see so many vendors and excited shoppers turn out on a saturday afternoon for the market. Not all of the vendors listed on Boston Localvores were there, but most were (my guess is that some may rotate). The vendors were incredibly friendly and there was a ton of fantastic produce and products offered.

The beef stew meat found it's way into some fantastic chili (more

on that later), the granola is a wonderful addition to my yogurt and the Ful Medammes (think hummus but made from fava beans) will be gone soon. All in all i'd say the market was a success and I really look forward to returning soon.

One final treat: While wandering around

Russell's Garden Center I came upon a delicious smelling Chocolate Mint plant. Partly because of the smell & partly out of my desire for more plants in my living space I decided to purchase it:

(Mentha × piperita - Chocolate Mint)

This Weeks Organic Produce.

The usual note: I do not grow the produce pictured, it is courtesy ofBoston Organics. Their mission is to deliver organic produce, focusing on convenience, variety and value. Whenever possible they support local & regional farms by providing as much produce as possible from the region. When they cannot provide local produce they receive produce from a variety of farms along the eastern seaboard, northern california, the pacific northwest, & tropical fruit from equal exchange organic farms in central america. My girlfriend and I have been receiving a $29 dollar 1/2 fruit 1/2 vegetable box every other week for the last 18 months. We don't pick what comes in the box (though they do have a 'no list') and have been really impressed with their customer service. The few times we had a problem with certain produce they responded promptly and provided us with additional items at our next delivery-free of charge!

The rundown-

From around here:

1.5 lbs of purple fingerling potatoes (VT)

1 lb of Carrots (MA)

1 Rutabaga (NH)

1 lb Empire Apples (VT)

From beyond:

2 Bosc Pears (WA)

1 bunch Broccoli (CA)

1 bunch Green Leaf Lettuce (FL)

1 Green Pepper (FL)

2 Honey Mandarins (FL)

2 Hamlin Oranges (FL)

2 Sunburst Tangerines (FL)

From even further beyond:

1.5 lbs Bananas (Ecuador)

Now that the holidays have passed, we are back to our usual every other thursday delivery schedule. The lettuce is crisp and the fingerling potatoes and broccoli look exceptionally good. The mandarin was bursting with juice and the empire apples are crispy, juicy and full of flavor. I am very pleased with this box & the taste/quality of its contents.

I was also informed that a friend of mine who lives a few streets away has signed up for a weekly delivery from Boston Organics. Instead of 1/2 fruit & 1/2 vegetable like myself she is getting a 'dogma box' each week. The dogma box consists of fruits and vegetables which are sourced as closed to Boston as possible. No 'no lists' or substitutes. In the 6-7 months they have offered the Dogma box items have come from New England, upstate NY and Quebec. In the winter root veggies, storage crops, & storage apples make up the box. In the spring/summer/early fall it is chock full of variety.

I've considered switching to the dogma box and am interested in seeing what her experience is.

New Year's Eve deliciousness

Our New Year's Eve dinner was spectacular!

Cheesy appetizer's of smoked brie, cherry tomatoes & mozzarella, and a cheese and cracker plate!

Toasted Pine-Nut, Raisins, Feta, Carrots, and Baby Greens Salad.

Main Courses:

Mashed Sweet Potato with chiles in adobo:

Pan Roasted Ratatouille:

Buffalo Meat Loaf:

Dessert consisted of fruit slices along with raspberry jam & shortbread cookies.

Delicious Food. Great Company. Good Times. Happy 2010.