Farm Fresh to You!

Once about 2 years ago I called Lissa and she was cooking dinner at her home in Petaluma. I asked what she was making and she said gingered carrots. Wow, that sounds neat Liss. She said they are delicious and little Ella even eats them. It's because she gets a box of organic vegetables delivered that come with these great recipes. That always stuck in my mind.

I finally decided to try it myself! Imagine coming home from a long day at work and finding a box on your doorstep. Oh boy! A box! You open it up and behold...a medley of gorgeous, healthy-looking fruit and vegetables that are all organic, grown on a farm near you. This set you back a Jackson but it's a way to support local farms and be assured that you are eating your vegetables. The service is terrific, as all they need are a couple days notice to tell them you'll be on vacation next week and don't need a delivery. You can get your delivery once a week or every other week or once a month. Anecdotes from the farm accompany the delivery, along with recipes for most of what they've included.

Last week was the first time trying it. I have to say, the apples were some of the crispest I've had. I am very picky about apples. The red carrots were so crunchy and fresh. The sweet potatoes...well I didn't really know what to do with them except try the recipe. I can't tell you how fun and delicious they turned out. This week I am going to try their recipe for stir-fried cabbage and shiitakes. It has bacon in the recipe, so how can it be anything but wonderful? I'm happy.

Here is that sweet potato recipe in case you'd like to try it for yourself. Watch that hot oil!

Sweet Potato Fries

3 medium sweet potatoes, washed and cut into long strips
2-3 cups cooking oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Heat the oil in a pot. Make sure that you have a slotted spoon and paper towels piled on a plate ready. Once the oil is hot (375f), fry potatoes until golden. Take the potatoes out with a slotted spoon and place on the paper towels. Let the paper towels absorb some of the oil, then transfer to a separate plate. Blend spices and shake generously over hot fried potatoes.

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