Happy Thursday, one more day to the weekend!!! I’m very excited for this weekend we got a lot going on, it’s going to be fun. Awkward transition time…..
Note: I was not compensated for this post, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Sunizona Farmbox
So last Friday I picked up my first farmbox at Whole Foods from Sunizona Family Farms. A farmbox or sometimes called a CSA (community supported agriculture) is a way of buying directly from farmers. You commit to purchasing a dollar amount directly from the farmer and theoretically get a better price because you are in a membership with others in your community. With this particular organization you can subscribe to the service weekly or bi-weekly and pick up the food at various locations around the Phoenix and Tucson.
You can also choose between a small or large standard box, or you can chose a custom box. I really wanted to use ordering a box as a way to challenge myself to step outside my comfort zone and try new produce I wouldn’t normally buy, so I chose the standard box (aka they chose for you.)
The packaging was pretty impressive, all air tight sealed for optimal freshness!
- 1 bunch kale
- 1 bunch green onions
- 4 large beets
- 1 head of romaine lettuce
Most of the produce above is kind of part of my usual groceries (especially if I plan on making green juice), so it was nice to be provided some of my normal staples. These petite micro greens on the other hand were a really nice and fresh treat!
It also had very fresh garlic and blooming onions. I was pretty excited about this because I made the stupid decision of buying pre-minced garlic at Costco which I despise. You could use half the jar and you will barely taste it, fresh is definitely the way to go! However I told myself I have to use it up before I can buy fresh garlic, I still have it so getting some fresh garlic is most appreciated!
These cherry tomatoes were crunchy sweet treats that made really delicious snacks and salad additions all week, they are already gone (along with the micro greens.)
The star of the box was by far this beautiful yet slightly intimidating eggplant!
Eggplants intimidate me, I know you can do a thousand things with them, but up until this past weekend I hadn’t had much success. This time though, when I saw it I immediately knew it would end up on the grill (like most of my food in the summer time on the weekends).
Grilled Eggplant Recipe
I started by washing it and slicing it. Then I drizzled olive oil over the slices and used this seasoning I got at Trader Joe’s.
I probably would just spray them with cooking spray or use the misto next time though because the eggplant soaked it up like a sponge!
We stuck them on the grill right along side our meat.
We turned them after about 5-8 minutes when they had nice grill marks across the back. (Nope that’s a lie, we overcooked them and they were kind of charred on the back. The other side, the side you can see in the photo was a total success though and that took about five minutes. Just keeping it real y’all!)
It was a total success (even with the charring) we just about devoured it before the rest of the meal was even done!
Taste great with BBQ sauce too!
So signing up for the farmbox did exactly what I wanted it to, expand my horizon of foods (more variety = more nutrients) and pushed me out of my comfort zone. I’ll definitely be keeping the subscription and I look forward to more delicious challenges! Have a great day today and let me know if you try the eggplant!
Looking for tips on healthy grilling and more grilled veggies? Check out this post—> 10 Healthy Grilling Tips & Grilled Brussels Sprouts
XO
-Kelli
Questions of the day:
– Have you ever ordered from a CSA or farmbox?
– What vegetable intimidates you?
[…] reception where we enjoyed yummy italian food! I also made this delicious juice inspired by the farmbox I got the other day, in case you’re looking for some juicing […]