What’s in your Veggie Box (Week 23A)

For this week, we were unable to get hold of avocados for our Tuesday veggie boxes and have put chilli in the small and regular boxes and some beautiful garlic bulbs in our large boxes – delicious in a stir-fry or pasta meal! Our veg can vary occasionally as our farmers are harvesting the fruit and veg as fresh as possible, however our Friday veggie boxes should still be as listed below:

In the small and regular boxes:

Leeks – I love a scrumptious cheesy toastie and lately I’ve enjoyed adding some finely sliced leeks cooked in butter and pepper with either honey mustard or Worcestershire sauce. For a lovely family lunch you could also cook up Bill Granger’s open faced feta and leek omelette.

Purple Cauliflower – Nothing makes me more gleeful than a burst of colour in the veggie boxes, and these purple cauliflowers are no exception! Two particular recipes that I’m very eager to try are Donna Hay’s scrambled tofu with roasted cauli and greens (perfect for any leftover kale from last week or bok choy from this week), and also her sage and haloumi roasted cauli (she uses broccoli, but it would work with any similar vegetables including romanesco from last week) with caramelised leek.

Pumpkin – Pumpkin always makes me think of soup- use with the leeks, any left over potatoes or jerusalem artichokes from last week, and you can even throw in an apple or too for a little hint of sweetness. Be generous with cumin, chilli, sage and thyme. And add a dollop of your choice of cream, sour cream or cashew cream. Or go ahead and make Amy’s beautiful Hasselback Pumpkin and Lentil Bake from a few weeks ago.

Bok Choy – A wonderfully versatile leafy green which is ideal in a simple stir-fry with cauliflower, and mushroom with salmon or tofu. You could also recreate a poke bowl with rice or noodles, steamed bok choy, sliced avocado, chilli, the inner part of the leek sliced finely, a poached egg, rice vinegar and soy sauce dressing, sesame seeds and your protein of choice (raw tuna and salmon are my favourites).

Brussels sprouts – One of the most understated of all vegetables, Brussels sprouts rarely receive the merit they deserve and yet they have so much to offer! Roast them whole (though make sure you don’t overcook them), finely slice them and pan-fry them with butter, leeks and toasted almonds, serve up a sumptuous Brussels sprouts and goats cheese galette or tart, or for something even fancier cook a creamy quinoa risotto with sage and almond Brussels sprouts. Far out Brussel sprout!

Avocado – If you’ve been yearning to sit down in your favourite cafe and indulge in some smashed avo and eggs on toast with a flat white, why not recreate it this week (served with a side of buttery mushrooms if you’re getting a large box). Another one of my top-rated avocado brunches is this recipe for soba noodles with avocado, lime and cardamom. It’s such distinctly aromatic mixture of flavours and is extra delicious with some pan-fried salmon, a soft-boiled egg, tofu or some prawns.

In the large boxes:

Cherry Tomatoes– These are the absolute last tomatoes of the year. We pulled out the tomatoes at the farm a few weeks ago, and replaced them with Broadbeans. But Joe, who runs a certified organic farm in Bittern has a few plants still producing! Enjoy them- they will be the last tomatoes in our veggie boxes until December! Need ideas? Roast in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and serve on top of smashed avo. Add whole to pasta with garlic, greens and olives or slice in half and add to any wrap, sandwich or salad on the menu all week.

Mushrooms – You really can’t go wrong with a rich aromatic mushroom soup or risotto, but another great dinner recipe for this week is fish steamed with chilli, mushrooms and bok choy

Chillies – These Manzana chillies are beautifully succulent, look like miniature capsicums and are named after their unique apple-like shape! There are generally three types of people when approaching chillies, and you’ll be relieved to know that there is an alternative for everyone:

• For people who love their chillies hot: A friend of mine is so enamoured with hot chilli that sometimes at dinner time I used to sit there with my jaw gaping in awe as she heaped chilli flakes onto every spoonful of food. If you are one of these awe-inspiring people, you’ll love these chilli seeds and a great way to utilise their full potential is to remove the seeds and dry them out on a paper towel, add them to your pepper grinder and sprinkle over food for a fiery flavour.

• For people who prefer a slightly milder chilli heat: If you choose to discard the seeds of the chillies, you’ll find that the juicy flesh is delicious sliced up finely and stirred through a lemon and anchovy spaghetti, tossed through a salad, in a cheeky chilli and pepper chutney, on pizza, or in a hearty mushroom ‘chilli sin carne’.

• For people who have a complete aversion to chilli and would prefer to not consume it at all: do you have a veggie garden? A wonderful organic alternative to preventing leaf eating beetles and caterpillars from munching their way through your garden is to make your own home made chilli spray: blend the fresh chillies in hot water with some organic soap flakes, cool and strain it, dilute 4 teaspoons of the chilli concentrate with 4 teaspoons of water and spray onto and around your plant leaves – always remember to store in a safe place, clearly labelled.

Last time I ate one of these chillies, I made the perilous mistake of touching my nose and it was not only an unpleasant time, but rather embarrassing walking around with a milk-soaked tissue up my nostrils in an attempt to dull the pain. So, just in case you haven’t heard this advice enough over the past few weeks… whatever you do, do not touch your face!

In the fruit boxes:

Mandarins – The ultimate on the go snack to take on your outdoor adventures, delicious in a salad with finely sliced bok choy, soba noodles and chilli, or if you’ve got some friends over for afternoon tea, you really can’t go wrong with a 4-ingredient mandarin and almond cake!

Pears – These syrupy orange glazed pears would make a delightful after dinner treat with some vanilla ice cream. Pearfection!

Apple – Stewed apples, apple and cinnamon muffins, apple and pear crumble, or even sliced into a salad, the possibilities are endless!

Remember if you’re picking up your veggie box our farm gate is located at 1494 Stumpy Gully Road, Moorooduc and is open on Friday afternoons between 3-5pm and Saturday mornings 9am-12pm.

Or we deliver to your door on Tuesday afternoons (Mornington and Mt Martha), and Friday afternoons (Mt Eliza and Frankston), as well as our additional pick up points in Dromana and Red Hill.

Our locally sourced, organic vegetables are harvested as fresh as possible and are still subject to change depending on what’s available to our growers.