What's in your vegetable boxes at the moment?

[emkana]

Hi,

I'm a bit disappointed with my fruit and vegetable box at the moment. It always seems to be the same, and not exactly amazing stuff.
This week there was potatoes and carrots and onions (like every week), a bit of broccoli, three tomatoes, a bag of watercress.
Then some apples, one pear, one orange, one grapefruit, four bananas. All this for £10.75.
A few weeks ago the company put in a note to say that it was the sp-called "hungry gap" at the moment - running out of winter vegetables while the summer stuff hasn't come in yet. But shouldn't we be past this now? What's in season at the moment? Event the potatoes are horrible and have lots of black bits in them - somehow I was expecting to get new potatoes now...

didnt know you could get veg boxes where from???

I get them from a local supplier, but there's a company called abel&cole who deliver nationwide - if you google them you'll find them.

bump

Hmm, I'm fairly certain the supermarkets have UK new potatoes in now, so it does seem a bit odd that you're still in between seasons. I know early May is a bit like that but thought we were in to early summer season by June?

Here's the Foody's guide to seasons here ... doesn't look like it should be that sparse?

This week fruit was:
Pears
Strawberries
Cherries
Apples
Bananas
Oranges
Kiwi

Veg was:
Bean sprouts
Courgettes
Aubergine
New jersey pots
French beans
Carrots
Brocolli
Vine tomatoes
Cucumber

Our boxes (abel and cole) have improved over the last couple of weeks. Probably worth giving it a bit longer to see what starts to come through now the first crops are coming in

And Abel and Cole seemed to have got a bit more variety than that this week . Time to change box suppliers?

Thanks for that everybody.
Abel & Cole looks good, might change to them.
What kind of size box do you get, soapbox?

that doesn't sound brilliant, the fruit/veg stall at our market sells all their remaining stock to get rid around 1.30pm on Saturdays - I bought a bunch of radishes, 2 lbs of new jerseys, huge bag of mushrooms,a bunch of bananas, a bunch of red grapes, 2 cucumbers and 7 garlic globes for £5.20, they were also doing 30 apricots for 1.50.

They also do the whole cockney shouting! apples and pears, who are the squares? etc etc. Very silly but I love the whole thing of it.

Probably not very organic though - they certainly don't advetise it as such.

And if I get the mixed box from A&C at least there won't be carrots in it every bloody week. There's only so much you can do with carrots, isn't there?
With A&C can you exclude some things that you really don't like?

Em - I get the essential fruit plus box and delux veg box.

I also keep a lot of options as dislikes e.g. onions and grapefruit where I don't want to build up a glut!

X-posted. Yes you can tick the dislikes. Can even do this and then change it back again. Useful if you just want a break from something or need to use up a glut before you want anymore!

If you use the UK wide versions of Abel & Cole can you still use the likes & dislikes?

I think so Georgina!

When you are logged on it is on the LHS menu????

Hmm not great -
fresh sage and parsley
a lemon
tomatoes
mushrooms
carrots
some spinach

fruit bowl has a watermelon in it, oranges, apples & lychess

I don't use Abel & Cole, but if you can stop your gluts its more tempting... My main problem is that I tend to menu plan so require specific veg each week which makes life that little bit more complicated...

peppers red and orange
carrots
spring onions
kiwi's
pears
lettuce
spinach
lemons
onions
butternut squash
broccoli

soapbox, i have been searching for the thread where we discussed veg boxes recently - and can't find it. how frustrating!

emkana, i'm not fan of veg boxes and soapbox is - we discussed it in a pleasant way - gave the pros and cons, which might be relevant to you - but can't find it now.

oh well

very embars=assing. lesson to self read the thread before posting and not after.
I thought you meant boxes in the bottom of the fridge

can you get to a local market once a week, they are normally there twice a week in one twon and twice in a twon quite near by. I know you have to drive but you can oick your own and it costs me about £12 for the following stuff:

beetroot(a bunch)
bananas(about 6)
3 lbs of new potatoes
3 avocados
3 lbs of Braeburn apples
2 lbs of carrots
2 lbs of apricots(or whatever is in season)
1 cabbage
1 cauliflower
2lb of onions
1 lb strawberries(in 3 punnets for a pound and you have to open them immediately and take the odd bad one out but they are superior to supermarket ones)
1 pack of radish
1 ice berg lettuce
1 cucumber

I don't know about organic but I have been buying it for 2 years and it is the best I have ever tasted and I love supporting local businesses. If we didn't buy from local people they would looose their businesses and they are worth keeping imho!

town

I get so much more than that from Abel-Cole. As to menu planning, they let you know in advance what they are planning on putting in the boxes and so that might help with your menu.

LOL, I thought it meant bottom of the fridge too! Sorry!!

So did I tc!