Why I Buy a Veggie Box and Think You Should Too

Thursday January 19, 2012 · by Scott · in Misc.

For a couple of years now I’ve been buying a vegetable box each week. Some people think that it is a waste of money and are quite entitled to their opinions, but for me it has allowed my kitchen adventures to take on a whole new lease of life.

So, what could be so amazing about a vegetable box that it changes the whole way you cook? This past week mine contained parsnips, swede, sprouts, potatoes, pak choi, celeriac and cauliflower. None of that is particularly exciting, you might think, but what it does is allow me to do is eat tastier food, all of the time. And next I’ll explain how.

If you head to your supermarket for your food shopping you’ll see how the fruit and vegetables they have remains fairly constant the whole year round. This is because they source them from multiple places so that when something isn’t in season here it can still be sold. Unfortunately for the consumer this means it has been transported sometimes for thousands of miles across the world, losing vitamins and becoming starchy and flavourless as it does so. The types of fruit and vegetables they stock haven’t been selected for flavour, instead for regularity of appearance, long shelf-life, and high resistance to the travelling distance. Anyone who has tried a shop bought tomato against a home grown variety will testify; they taste watery and have a thick, tough skin.

When my box arrives it contains fruit and vegetables grown usually at one particular farm and always grown locally. As such the shelf life is short; the products selected have to be in season here and now. As a result I get forced rhubarb in February, Asparagus in May, Strawberries in July…you get the idea. All of it is full of flavour and healthier for it. We never have to wonder what is for dinner, instead we are led by whatever happens to have arrived in this weeks vegetable box – our dinners are therefore determined entirely by what nature has provided, not what the supermarkets have decided to put on the shelves to make the most profit.

http://www.facebook.com/Rosa.J.May Rosa May

I’d love to receive vegetable boxes and I’m totally for them, but where I live (in the countryside) they don’t deliver them… .-(

Cheers,

Rosa
- http://www.realepicurean.com/ Scott
  
  You are probably even luckier then, assuming you can get your hands on locally grown veggies and fruits.
http://marthameetslucy.typepad.com/ Deanna

There isn’t anywhere near me that delivers them. I do have a good number of farmer’s markets and I always try whatever is in season.
- http://www.realepicurean.com/ Scott
  
  Unfortunately the farmers’ market near me is really small and I suspect will be shut down soon. It seems most people just aren’t interested and prefer to buy at the supermarket which is a real shame.
Judes

I love my veg box! I love not having to decide what to cook – I just wait to see what I have and then find a recipe for it. I’ve eaten plenty of things that I wouldn’t otherwise have eaten, and it’s all so tasty!
- http://www.realepicurean.com/ Scott
  
  Agree entirely. You’ve summed up in one paragraph what took me a whole article!
http://5mcoffee.com Glenn Watson

When I worked from home we used to get a box delivered. It was great. Fresh fruit and vegetables every week. I ate more veggies than I do now that i work in the city again.

Sadly we had to stop as the veggie box would either get pinched (yes – people steal vegetables!) or sit in the sun (ok, that was a joke as there is no sun in England)

We have had to cancel our milk recently for the same reasons. Shame really.

We hate shopping at supermarkets for these products and would love to eat local produce more often.
- http://www.realepicurean.com/ Scott
  
  I had a similar experience with milk deliveries, but I think it was down to an inadequate milkman rather than petty theft. Shame really.
http://www.theardentepicure.com/ Magic of Spice

Wonderful article! It is so important to eat in season and I am fortunate to have several local farmers’ markets as well as health food stores that source locally. There is nothing quite like fresh seasonal goodies
- http://www.realepicurean.com/ Scott
  
  Thanks and I agree about seasonal food tasting much better.Farmers’ Markets are even better than veggie boxes.
Margaret Wise

I had to stop my veggie box scheme because sometimes they only sent a few potatoes and then there was the wilting veg……….I totally agree with you regarding supermarket produce. We have a farm which we call the £50 shop………!
- http://www.realepicurean.com/ Scott
  
  I can sympathise on the wilting veg; in summer sometimes mine arrives looking bright green but quickly deteriorates.
  Now it all goes in the fridge if it’s too warm.
http://www.foodforfriendsyeah.co.uk/2012/01/24/farmers-choice-online-butchers/ Matt

We haven’t had a veggie box delivered for a few years now, as we’ve got a pretty good greengrocer round the corner. However, I did used to love the surprise when you open the box to see what goodies they’ve sent you.

It certainly meant I had to be more creative with my cooking.

On top of this, we’ve just reviewed Farmer’s Choice, where you can get free range meat delivered as well. Soon there’ll be no reason to leave the house!
- http://www.realepicurean.com/ Scott
  
  Ah, while we have a good grocer here too it’s the suppose element of the box that I like so much.v I don’t decide what I’m having for dinner, it’s decided by the veggies that arrive instead.
http://80breakfasts.blogspot.com/ joey

I also get a veggie box (well, more of a basket) and I love it! Not only do I get to support a local farmer, and get fresh and in season organic produce, I also love the creativity that goes into figuring out what to do with everything
- http://www.realepicurean.com/ Scott
  
  Agree 100% – it inspires so much more kitchen creativity in my opinion.
Britain in our kitchen

We don’t get a veggie box (yet) but have been looking at only buying fruits and vegs grown in the UK. Vegetables are OK but fruits… it is apples and pears at the moment, we had a very exciting moment when we got some rhubarb.

Why I Buy a Veggie Box and Think You Should Too

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