The Produce Box

As we move into the summer squashes, get ready for the wide array of ways they can be prepared.  They are so versatile in the kitchen there is no reason you should get tired of them! ·   Try a potato, squash and goat cheese gratin ...great for breakfast or brunch! ·   Try it in a curry . ·   Make a summer salad with ribbons of zucchini.  Use your veggie peeler to create the ribbons or mix finely diced summer squash into your next chopped salad. ·   Add it to a pasta dish for an easy meal. ·   Pair with a dipping sauce for a cold appetizer on your next crudité platter. ·   Grate up and use in fritters . ·   Squash boats can be a side or main dish and made with or without meat. ·   Roast or grill it as “steaks” or add to kabobs. ·   Make Zucchini Bread, cake or brownies . ·   Dice or shred and add to risotto. ·   Combine with corn in a sauté . ·   Add finely diced zucchini to a frittata,  omelet, or quiche. ·   Use shredded zucchini in place of potat

Did you know that North Carolina supplies 40% of the nation's sweet potatoes? Did you know that we grow SIX types of blueberries in North Carolina? We can't help but share these fun facts because WE LOVE LOCAL! This weekend, we were so excited to be one of the sponsors for the Got To Be NC Festival at the state fairgrounds in Raleigh. We set up an interactive veggie-filled booth to talk to potential and current members who share our passion for North Carolina and show them the local produce we offer each week. We were also excited to see several of our artisan partners, like Uncle Chris’ Pimento Cheese and Little Black Dressing Co., who had booths near us! The Got To Be NC Festival was an excellent way to showcase our appreciation and support for the foods and agriculture of North Carolina. So, THANK YOU. Those are two simple words we hear every day from our farm and artisan food partners and are passing on to you today. They know you have lots of choices when you

Honey bees play an important role in pollinating many of the fruits and vegetables in your Produce Box, and the bees are in trouble as their food sources shrink and the world population grows. Quite simply, bees do not have access to all the pollen and nectar sources that they need to survive and we in turn, need the bees to grow our food. Since bees are so important to our agriculture and farmers (and you!), The Produce Box pledged our support by partnering with the Bayer Crop Science national Feed A Bee program to help plant 50 MILLION flowers to feed the bees this year. The Feed a Bee initiative will create forage areas with a diversity of bee-attractant plants for honey bees. And you can help!  We will include free wildflower seed packets in every Box delivered next week to feed the bees in North Carolina. We are also educating and helping our farmers to plant wildflowers around their crops to attract and feed the bees. This is a win-win because the bees provide the nec

Duplin Co seems to be a great spot  to grow organically.    Owen,  a new grower for us this  year, grew the beets you  find in the O’Natural  Box this week  and his  collards  in the  Locavore Box. Kevin met Cliff in Harnett Co. this past week. This young  man is going to be an amazing new grower  for us! Just look at that Romaine he has grown. Did you get the Sprout Box this week?  If so, you are benefiting from Cliff’s hard work. Herbie, also in Duplin Co., grows a wide variety of organic items you will find in the Boxes.  This week his beautiful organic radishes are the star item!  You will find them in the O'Natural, Little O’Nat and Bounty Boxes.  We also have his organic collards in the  Lil O, and his arugula and kale in the O'Natural Box. James, in Kenly, brings us lots of lettuce and all of our field strawberries this week! When he put his lettuce in the field in March he told us it would be ready about April 20.  Guess what?  His green lea