This Week’s Box Featuring Collard Greens – Week of January 17

January 18, 2022 by Amy Buglione

Collards are very nutritious (high in vitamins K, A, and C, as well as calcium, iron and fiber) and have been linked to lowered cholesterol.

Preparation

Remove the stem from the bunch. Use your non-dominant hand to hold the leaves together. With your dominant hand, cut about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the bottom of the stem, separating the leaves.

Soak the leaves in water. Add a little salt to the water. Salt is abrasive and helps in the process of scrubbing away dirt and impurities. Gently scrub the leaves with your hands and rinse.

Cut out the spine from each leaf. Lay each leaf out flat on the counter. Use a sharp knife to cut along the spine on each side, separating the leaf into two parts and completely removing the spine. Stack the leaves so the flat, cut sides all line up.

Roll the stack of leaves lengthwise. You may need to form several stacks to get tight rolls.

Cut the greens into ribbons. Slice each roll into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Separate the pieces with your fingers, letting them unravel into long strips.

What else is in the bag?

Collard Greens
Ho Farms

Lettuce
Kunia Country Farms

Long Beans
Ho Farms

Mixed Tomatoes
Sugarland

Rambutan
OK Farms

Sweet Potatoes
Aloun Farms

Plant Based Meal Prep Box

Vegetarian Meal Kit Box Recipes

Try out these recipes!

Braised Long Beans With Tomatoes

Collard Roll Ups with Coconut Curry Kale

This Week’s Box Featuring Onions – Week of January 10

January 10, 2022 by Amy Buglione

This week we have onions from Aloun

There are many types of onions to use as culinary accents. Added in small amounts, they’ll make a dish come alive with aromatic undertones. When used raw, they add a punch to salads and salsas. But the real magic takes place when onions are cooked: A light sauté or slow roast mellows their pungent, acrid flavors and coaxes out their natural sweetness.

Preparation

Rinse the onion thoroughly under cool tap water. On a cutting surface, use a chef’s knife to slice off the stem and root ends. Remove the papery outer skins and cut the onion in half from the top end to the root end.

To Chop: Place each onion half, flat side down, on the cutting surface and make side-by-side vertical slices from stem end to root end. Holding slices together, cut across the slices, making tiny pieces.

Simple Ways to Cook Onions:

Saute:

In a large skillet or pan heat cooking oil or butter over medium-high heat until hot. Use about 1 tablespoon fat per onion. Add chopped or sliced onions and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula. If desired, cook a little longer until edges just start to brown. Remove from heat and use as desired.

Tip: The onions will cook more evenly if you don’t crowd them. Do stir frequently and keep an eye on the heat. If the heat is too high, the onions can burn.

What else is in the bag?

Apple Bananas
Sugarland

Avocados
Twin Bridge Farms

Bell Peppers
Sugarland

Kale
Ho Farms

Rambutan
OK Farms

Sweet Onion
Aloun Farms

Try out these recipes!

Collard Greens and Caramelized Onions

Oahu Fresh Medley Soup (Featuring Local Long Squash, Kale, Jalapenos, and Green Onions)

This Week’s Box Featuring Avocados – Week of January 3

January 3, 2022 by Amy Buglione

This week we have avocados from Adaptations

Preparation

How to cut or slice avocados in half:

1. Be sure to fully wash before cutting or slicing.

2. Place the avocado lengthwise on a secure surface.

3. Hold the avocado securely with one hand, and slice slowly down the center lengthwise around the seed, starting at the narrower end.

4. Holding the avocado in the palm of one hand, use your other hand to twist and rotate the two halves apart.

5. Use a teaspoon to remove the stone from the center of the avocado. Use a dessert spoon to scoop the whole avocado flesh out from the shell if required. Cut into slices, chunks, or mash with a fork.

How to peel an avocado:

1. For ripe Hass Avocados, the outer skin or peel is easy to remove. Simply slice the avocado in half or cut into wedges as shown in photo. Then grasp the outer dark layer or skin and pull it away from the inner green flesh of the fruit. If some of the darker almost black portions of the skin remain on the green flesh of the fruit, simply cut them away. The yellow to green portions of the avocado are what you want. Do not consume the peel.

What else is in the bag?

Avocados
Twin Bridge Farms

Kale
Ho Farms

Mixed Tomatoes
Sugarland

Sweet Potatoes
Aloun Farms

Swiss Chard
Ho Farms

Tangerine
OK Farms

Zucchini
Aloun Farms

Try out these recipes!

Avocado Banana Bread

Garlic Sautéed Swiss Chard with Egg and Avocado

This Week’s Box Featuring Green Peppers – Week of December 27

December 27, 2021 by Amy Buglione

This week we have green peppers from Sugarland

Bell Peppers are crisp, semi-sweet, non-spicy treat originating in Central and northern South America. They are prepared as culinary vegetables but are technically, in botanical terms, fruits. Though they’re labeled as peppers, they lack capsaicin (the active irritant found in chili peppers that create the burning spicy sensation), which is due to a recessive gene (kind of like the blue eyed baby in a family of brown eyes), making them free of the “hot” taste that it’s family members have.

They are a rich source of antioxidants and vitamin C. While all colors have their benefits, the red colored ones are particularly great, offering many times higher levels of carotene and vitamins than the other varieties.

How to eat Bell Peppers:

Bell peppers are frequently roasted or pan sautéed in olive oil or other cooking oils, but they don’t have to be cooked to be enjoyed. Bell peppers can be sliced fresh, their seeds and ribs removed, and added as sides of a vegetable tray or to salad. You can also just munch on them on their own as a fresh snack!

What else is in the bag?

Bell Peppers
Sugarland

Lemongrass
Ho Farms

Lettuce
Kunia Country Farms

Longan
OK Farms

Orange
OK Farms

Zucchini
Aloun Farms

Try out these recipes!

Stuffed Green Peppers

Veggie Sweet Potato Hash with Eggs

Vegetarian Meal Kits:

This Week’s Box Featuring Sweet Potatoes – Week of December 20

December 20, 2021 by Amy Buglione

This week we have sweet potatoes from Adaptations

The Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) is one of the oldest vegetables known to mankind. Sweet potatoes originated in Central and South America, but archaeologists have found proof through prehistoric remnants that the sweet potato was grown in Polynesia before western exploration, according to radiocarbon dating. Current thinking is that it was brought to central Polynesia around 700 AD, possibly by Polynesians who had traveled to South America and back, and spread across Polynesia to Hawaii and New Zealand from there.

The sweet potato is not a potato, and it is not a yam! They’re far higher in nutrients than many people realize too, though shouldn’t be eaten as the only vegetable. Consider the sweet potato high in fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Manganese, among many others. It can help boost brain function, stabilize blood sugar, enhance immune system, and it promotes vision health.

Preparation

The simplest way you can prepare a sweet potato is by first heating the oven to 400° F. Pierce each sweet potato several times with the tines of a fork. Place the sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes. Make a slit in the top of each sweet potato.

What else is in the bag?