A new era begins!

The Front Door Organics era!

Delivery number one was a success! I arrived home around 5:30pm on Monday night, and the blue Tupperware container was sitting at my front door - the answer to Rory's "what if it's 20 below outside?" question remains unanswered, as it was a balmy 4 degrees that day.  The perfect fridge temperature!

The contents of the box were beautiful - other than a couple of not-so-hard onions (not so bad they had to be tossed though).  With the produce, I received a 'welcome' letter, which included information on how to store produce appropriately - very useful!  I also received the weekly newsletter informing me of an upcoming organic food conference, the specials of the week (other organic groceries), and 3 recipes - vegetable stew with cobbler topping, goat cheese souflee with kale (fancy dancy!), and apple onion and cheese gratin.

Now I'd be lying if I said the contents of the box surprised me.  I received an email 3 days before delivery informing me what was coming!  Had I known another bag of potatoes was coming, I likely would have changed my order to replace the potatoes with something else.

Fresh Box™ Contents Jan. 18 - 22:

1 each Squash, Dumpling - ON
1 2 pound Onions, Yellow - Bag - ON
1 unit (1 or 2) Rutabaga - ON 
1 2 pound Carrots - Bag
1 bunch Broccoli
1 each Grapefruit
4 each Oranges, Navel
5 each Apples, Mixed Variety - ON
2 each Pears, Bosc
5 each Bananas - Fair Trade
1 each Mango
1 bunch Kale, Green

1 unit Lettuce, ‘Summer Mix’ - ON

Today, I received a follow up email asking me how my first delivery was, and how often I would like to continue receiving the box.  While there is slightly less produce in this box than the GFB boxes (and less local produce!), I decided to do biweekly - I may just have to supplement more from the supermarket.

Monday night, I made the following deliciousness...

Maple-mustard baked steelhead trout, creamy polenta, and sauteed baby spinach.  I had some spinach sitting in the fridge that needed to be used up, so the only FB (fresh box) item I used was onions!

Maple Mustard baked steelhead trout

• Preheat oven to 400 degree F
• Mix 1 part maple syrup with one part of your fave mustard - mine was a mix of dijon and yellow.  You need enough to cover your fish and wee bit extra for a little sauciness.
  
• season trout with S&P, pour sauce over fish
  
• Bake for 10-12 minutes depending on fish thickness.
  

...out comes moist, sweet and savoury perfection!

 

The polenta was a take on Michael Smith's recipe for polenta from his The Best of Chef at Home cookbook.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of cornmeal
• 1 Tbsp canola or veg oil
• 1 onion, minced (FB)
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 cups milk (i used skim)
• 2 - 3 cups of chicken broth
• 1 parmesan cheese rind (or 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese)
• S&P to taste
• 1-2 Tbsp butter

Instructions:

1. Heat oil over med heat
2. Sautee onion and garlic for 2 minutes, or until translucent
3. Add milk and 2 cups chicken stock, bring to a simmer
4. In a slow steady stream, while whisking, add cornmeal (this will prevent lumps as the cornmeal grains quickly swell)
5. Once cornmeal is whisked in, turn heat to low, and stir regularly with a solid spoon (not the whisk) for for 15-20 minutes over low heat.  Add chicken stock along the way if it is getting too dry - I ended up having to add a full extra cup
6. Add parmesan rind and continue cooking over low heat for another 5-10 minutes...taste-test it! the texture should be nice and smooth, not grainy when it's done. (if you're using parmesan cheese, wait until the end to add).
7. Season generously with S&P...again, taste-test it!
8. Right at the end of cooking add butter before removing from heat.
9. Serve immediately (if you wait, the polenta will start to solidify on your plate as it cools) 

Now, I've made polenta once before - about 5 years ago or so - and it turned out terrible - grainy and tasteless - so I've been scared to try it again.  I had some cornmeal in the cupboard leftover from cornbread I made a few months back, and decided to give it another shot - am I EVER glad I did.  It was rich, creamy, and SO satisfying on a chilly winter night! It was a great savory compliment to the sweetness of the fish, and the slight bitterness in the spinach (btw the sauteed spinach, was sauteed onion and garlic in EVOO over med heat, throw in the spinach, add a small dash of water, a couple tsp at most, sautee for a couple of minutes until wilted and season with S&P - a very useful way to use that slightly wilted baby spinach that can no longer go in a salad).

Overall this meal was a stunner! Try all of it! On top of being delish, it was also well rounded nutrionally...cornmeal don't forget is ground up dried corn kernel - a whole grain!

As I finish with this post, I am off for the evening to eat! Let's hope my next meal is as blog worthy as this one!

Happy Eating!