@*@*@* ABEL AND COLE VEG BOXES

[lulumama]

Got a flyer through the door the other day, seems quite reasonable price...any one any experience? will i end up with 7 jeruasalem artichiokes, 4 beetroot, 1 wierdy, knobbly carrot and a potato? or a good selection of excellent quality veg that i can use, rather than look at , wonder, and then bin??

xx TIA

they're good - if a little parsnip heavy at this time of year!

We used to use Abel & Cole, but were really disappointed with them. We use Riverford, and are quite pleased with the quality.

I don't use them but a neighbour does and they seem very efficient adn the stuf looks good.. can't comment on value though.

Today I had....

7 Jerulsalem artichokes
Handful of potatoes
Red onions
Some carrots (not knobbly)
2 nice looking broccoli florets
Cherry tomatoes
oragnes and mandarins
bananas

Would have have fennel but it on my hate list.

Also my extras - milk, dates, eggs only had them three weeks so no idea how good they are yet

I love parsnips - why don;t I get any bloody parsnips - what do I do with a jerusalem artichoke?!

Haven't used them but I recommend Northern Harvest who deliver round your area. They do a fruit/salad/veg box for £10. Not organic though. I got their organic box and actually thought the non-organic one was better quality.

see, jerusalem artichokes scare me....what do you do with them ? love fennel though

does the veg last well?

thanks MrsD....will have a look at that too!! x

lulu...artichokes make a scrummy (if messy)starter served with vinaigrette

break stalk away from base removing any stringy bits too.Using a sharp knife,cut the base flat removing the few tough outer leaves.
Plunge into boiling water & cover-cook for 30/40 mins till tender.Drain to get rid of water.

vinaigrette
2tsp dijon mustard
juice half lemon
2tbsp white wine vinegar
6 tbsp olive oil
sea salt/pepper to taste
half tsp caster sugar

you can eat the soft nodules on each leaf & the actual heart itself-dip into vinaigrette...yum!

i know, i love globe artichokes, lully, tis the other sort that scare me ! but i have never eaten them with viniagrette. only melted butter !

We've just had this leaflet through the door and are considering it too - just wondering if you went for it Lulumama, and what you thought?

Anybody else used Abel and Cole or Northern Harvest? Any other recommendations?

Thanks in advance..

lulu - we use them but the stuff you get will depend on what you order (we get a small mixed box and the selection is not great). We have had a lot of courgettes recently so we have gallons of soup in the freezer ...

For all those scared of jerusalem artichokes they make the most amazing soup -

scrub and peel them, and chop into quarters,
chop 2 onions
chop 8 carrots (knobbly or not)
fry off in olive oil, salt and pepper
add stock to cover and simmer for 25 mins
add chilli if you like spicy soup
blend and enjoy - garnish with coriander and parsley

I used abel and cole a very long time when i broke my leg and couldnt get to the shops. I got some good stuff but did find it was a bit expensive to be brought often. I liked the oranges and the fact that they come back for the boxes the next day and the veg is grubby.

See if Northern Harvest deliver to you - I use them and they have been FAB

i use abel and cole for alot of stuff aswell as the veg andd i think they are great. not as cheap as supermarket organic - but not heavily overpriced and the food is great.

cx

there's quite a few threads on this if you search.

Seom like them though a lot (like me) complain about poor quality (although their customer service is execellent). I found most of the fruit/veg had gone off by the next day (some of it was sus when they delivered it). ALthough they gave us credit for it it was infuriating to have to go out to the shops every week and still buy about a weeks worth of fruit and veg.

I stopped using them (and so did my ILs who were having the same problem).

I stopped using Abel and Cole because i seemed to be getting less and less in my box each week. I was paying £13 but only having enough for a few days. I got twice as much for the same money at Sainsbury's, although the quality wasn't quite as high.

I stopped using them recently and went back to using organic delivery as their stuff is fresher and lasts the week - boxes slightly more expensive but you get more in them and quality better - also do a recycling service for Ecover.

actually that is a point as well - what am I supposed to do with 2 tiny potatoes (new potato size) - that doesn't even do one portion.

Mostly I ended up incrediably at the whole experience. It was a waste of money.

One week I had 3 tiny carrots in a family box

NOT great TBH - good cust service but quality of veggies is quite poor and goes off almost immediately. The portions are all wrong too.

i looked into loads of places - but none delivered to me apart from a&c - but so far ive been happy with them.

cx

We like our Able & Cole boxes. Been using them for a couple of months now. I like being able to go onto the web-site and selecting not to have certain stuff delivered e.g. we like oranges but can only cope with them every other week so if they are due two weeks in a row I can exclude them for one week only. Ours is delivered at the crack of dawn ...its there on the door step whan I get up at 6.15am!

I think they are a good introduction to veg boxes if you are used to getting your veg from a supermarket.

thanks everyone, actually Northern Harvest deliver to our area so we're going to give them a try. thanks for all your replies!

lulumama - jerusalem artichokes - slice em up chuck em in with a stir fry or pasta dish - yum and easy!