The Produce Box

It's the week before the holidays, our last week of deliveries, and the end of our SEVENTH season of supporting our NC farm-partners and helping our friends and neighbors eat healthier. WOW!     What I’ve learned from being a part of this community is that while having year-round grocery store access to fresh fruits and vegetables seemed like a good thing, it came with a price, we didn't know who grew our food and didn’t make informed decisions about what impact our money made in the world.    And DURING THE GROWING SEASON, our small to medium local farmers compete with national and international growing operations that sell at such low prices that the stores HERE can sell produce for crazy-low prices.....strawberries for $1-1.50 for example, in the spring. Can you even imagine the price the FARMER gets?  It’s not right.    In the end, when we buy produce from grocery stores, we may not have the opportunity to know the real costs of convenience. I also know t

By ALISON LADMAN, AP For simplicity, every recipe idea assumes you've peeled and seeded the squash. Patties : Cut squash into 2-inch pieces. Microwave until just tender. Allow to cool slightly, then arrange small mounds of cubes on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Use bottom of a bowl or mug to gently smash each mound into a patty about 1/2 inch thick. Brush top of each patty with olive oil & season with salt, pepper & smoked paprika. Bake at 450 F until browned and crispy, flipping after 10 mins. Hummus: Boil 2 cups squash cubes in water until tender. Drain well, then combine in a food processor with 1/4 cup tahini, 2 cloves garlic, zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, salt and pepper, to taste. Process until smooth, then spoon into a bowl. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and chopped peppers. Serve with pita chips.  Salad: Boil 2 cups squash cubes in water until just tender. Drain thoroughly and set aside to cool. Toss the cooled squash with