Organic Produce Delivery (CSA box, sort of)

This week we had the second delivery of a Golden Gate Organics box. I approve!

Unlike the CSAs that I'm familiar with, where all the items come from one farm, Golden Gate is more of a grocery delivery service. The owner, Corey, prices out produce from various local establishments, then sets up a weekly menu based on what's available. That means there's a wider variety than buying just from one farm (where beets might be in full season, say), but the goods are still fresh, local, and organic.



Our household's started with a Small box of mixed fruit and veggies delivered every other week. This week's box was lined up like so:
1 lb. Zucchini
1 Yellow Onion
1 Romaine Lettuce
1 Eggplant
1 bunch Carrots
1 Beefsteak Tomato
1 Baby Bok Choy
2 Minneola Tangelo
2 Haas Avocados

HOWEVER! The best part about this service is that you can swap out any items for equivalents, any week. (You can also draw a hard line and say, for example, NO MUSHROOMS. And that will persist until you move in with a mushroom-loving musician who also loves to eat organic, and you change the account settings.)

So I swapped out a few items and came up with the following:
2 lb. Zucchini
1 Yellow Onion
1 bunch Carrots
2 Beefsteak Tomatoes
1 Baby Bok Choy
2 Minneola Tangelo
2 Haas Avocados
2 Artichokes

I also added on a pound of Brussels sprouts from the special items available for an additional fee (these change every week). They were $4.90/lb, which is more than at the large grocery chain down the way ($2.99/lb for non-organically farmed sprouts, I saw while passing through the produce aisle) but much cheaper than the $6.99/lb I saw for organic sprouts at last weekend's farmers' market. Oy!

So I could get these all on my own, and probably pay less out of pocket, but I'd have to travel out of my way and scout prices, and I just don't have the time. So I'm paying for the convenience. And that is A-OK from time to time. I built it into the grocery budget.

YUM YUM YUM.

So far I have shared a tangelo and one of the tomatoes with my sweetie, she used the onion to make meatloaf, and I roasted half the Brussels sprouts to go with it. (OMG like candy.) Also, I sliced up one of the small zucchini and steamed it yesterday, and today I grated the rest of them and all the carrots (which were kind of puny) even though it took like an HOUR, and now I'm about to make my absolute favorite childhood dessert: carrot-zucchini cake.

Don't laugh. It's heavenly. Even when not baked in a T-Rex cake mold (as it was on my 4th birthday). This recipe is pretty close, but trust me: you don't need the frosting. Wish me luck though; it's my first time baking with coconut oil.