Urban Harvest

-
As October comes to a close, so does the last of Kelowna's fruit and vegetable markets.  I'll likely make a last trip to Don-O-Ray next week to stock up on potatoes and peppers and to pick a pumpkin to carve for halloween.  

As for the winter months it's back to Urban Harvest for their outstanding organic fruit and veggies.  Yesterday I received my first bin of the season,  delivered right to my front door.  If you've been following along you'll know how much I dislike shopping, and the fact that this cuts down on the time spent wandering the aisles of the Stupor Store is one of the many reasons I love Urban Harvest.

Each week they send me a list of their recommended fruits and veggies and I can go with their selection, or make some adjustments to suit my own needs. The produce is organic and on the rare occasion they have something to offer that's not, they make it very clear on the order form.  During the summer and fall most of their foods are locally sourced, which also makes me happy.


I remember when organic produce was first introduced to grocery stores and many people suggested that the fruits and veggies would be blemished and misshapen and the average consumer wouldn't purchase them.  Firstly, that insults the intelligence of the average consumer and secondly, it turned out to be untrue.  The produce I received yesterday looked so nice I wanted to serve all of it for dinner that night.  Luckily that's not necessary as it's so fresh it lasts easily through the week.  

As for the cost, yes it is more expensive that non-organic food, but I really believe it's worth it.  And at $4.00 a dozen,  the free range eggs are cheaper than any market I've visited.  If you want to save a little money prices are reduced at Urban Harvest's warehouse sale at 806 Crowley Avenue, Saturdays from 9-1.  I recommend you get there early, and bring cash or a cheque.

When I opened my bin yesterday I was dazzled by the colours and mouth watering quality of the contents.  I knew I had to take some photos and share it with as many people as I could.

 Such pretty colours!  The greens are a bag of arugula and some cilantro.

 Can't beat these beets!

 Some of the romas - perfection!

 The bin arrived while I was preparing soup, so I made immediate use of onions and carrots.

Apples and oranges and pears, oh my! 
There were also a couple of asian pears that didn't make it into the bowl for the photo.

  Wouldn't turnip my nose at this!

Beautiful broccoli!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pearls of Wisdom

-
Image
On Tuesday, my daughter received her diploma from the University of British Columbia. On Wednesday I was moving documents to my new computer when I stumbled upon a verse I'd copied from a card my mom gave Nicole when she graduated from high school.  I thought I'd post it today along with some photos of my Mom.  Today, is the fourth anniversary of her passing. GRANDMA'S PEARLS OF WISDOM by Becky Netherland I've traveled paths you've yet to walk Learned lessons old and new And now this wisdom of my life I'm blessed to share with you. Let kindness spread like sunshine Embrace those who are sad Respect their dignity, give them joy And leave them feeling glad   Forgive those who might hurt you And though you have your pride Listen closely to their viewpoint Try to see the other side Walk softly when you're angry Try not to take offense Invoke your sense of humor Laughter's power is immense!   Express w...
Read more

My Favourite Childhood Christmas Book

-
Image
Every Christmas, for as long as I can remember my heart has been touched by  The Wonderful Window by Beth Vardon,  illustrated by Charlot Byj.    I believe it was written in the 50's and I would likely have received it for Christmas sometime in the 60's.  It's no longer in print so I hope I'm not violating any copyright laws by sharing it with you.    As soon as the patchwork was tacked into place The angel came in with a smile on his face. And both he and Katie got down on their knees, Praying: Lord, could you spare one small miracle -- please? That night, all the people who happened to pass  Saw a wonderful window of glistening glass! And the light from the candles was shining inside  On the angel and Katie -- both beaming with pride. (Just take a look now, while the happy choir sings...You'll see -- even Katie --- has almost got wings!)
Read more

Currying Flavour

-
Image
When I arrived home from grocery shopping on Tuesday I discovered my husband had already purchased a four litre jug of milk to replace the empty one I had spied on the counter that morning.  I bought one too.  We don't use a lot of cow's milk and a four litre jug will usually last us two weeks.  It's not that we don't like it, we just believe that milk is for baby cows, not people and use almond or soy milk (though someone  prefers cow milk in their cereal).  I've been on a kick to use up the extra milk for the past two days and tonight we are going to consume it in a flavourful curried cauliflower soup.   I used this recipe more or less.  The cauliflower was huge so I added a little more curry, used chicken flavoured vegetable broth and replaced the half & half with a cup of skim milk.  I also left some small chunks of cauliflower in the mix because I like a little texture in my creamed soups.  I also added a couple of hu...
Read more