Living Whole Food, Plant Based!
One of my favorite meals as a kid was Shepherd’s Pie. In our house, it was how my mother would empty the refrigerator of the week’s leftovers. She would turn these leftovers into a warming comfort food, perfect for the cold Vermont evenings. As I …
Welcome 2020! As one year closes and another begins, possibilities abound. We spend time making (then breaking) resolutions. We want to make changes in our life, but life is funny. Old habits are so hard to change. It is so easy to fall into our …
Here’s the concept. Grocers have standards for the produce they display in stores. The produce that doesn’t meet those standards is rejected by the grocer (or buyer, distributor, etc.). As the produce cannot be sold, it is either destroyed or goes unused or not consumed. Misfits Market combats this waste by boxing and shipping to consumers the produce that would be rejected. Some may be odd shaped, too big, too small, but all is edible.
The produce is all organic and fresh. The price is right, working out to about $1.75 per pound. The packaging is minimalistic and the contents are a surprise when it arrives at your door. I received 50% off my first order, so the weekly $22 small box was $11, plus $4.50 shipping, for a total of $15.50. The weekly cost with shipping will be $26.50 without the discount.
Included in the initial box I received were kale, celery, broccoli, grape tomatoes, summer squash, red onion, mango, three grannie smith apples, grapefruit, two navel oranges, three yams, and a Delicata squash. Everything was labeled with the organic tags or stickers.
First impressions? With the exception of the Delicata squash, everything I received would be what I would have purchased had I gone to the store. In fact, this was one of my most pleasant experiences yet incredibly disappointing. I was really looking forward to receiving some produce I had never purchased, but would now have an opportunity to try. That said, because it is food that I buy anyways, nothing went to waste.
All the produce was fresh without any sign as to why it would have been rejected. The grapefruit was really small, but other than that there were no blemishes, bruises, or odd shapes. There was nothing misfit about my order.
The mango was green and hard when received, but now six days later it is ready to be consumed.
My only complaint were the cherry tomatoes did not last four days before I noticed signs of decay / aging. I salvaged the remaining firm tomatoes and threw away the rest. Honestly, this happens all the time in our house, so had I used them one of the first three days there would not have been an issue.
The cost in relation to the amount of food received was about right. I would likely spend a similar amount at Sprouts or Kroger, but I usually do not buy organic. So I can see where there would be a decent savings for someone who ordinarily buys organic.
Conclusion? I am receiving a second box tomorrow, and like the first box, it will be a total surprise what is inside. After my second box, I will make a final decision as to whether or not to continue the service. If I am as happy with the second box as I was with the first, I’ll definitely continue.
Check out their website (www.misfitsmarket.com) and social media pages to get the full story of their company and mission. Full disclosure: I do not receive any kind of referral fee.
I’ll keep you posted!
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I was so blessed to have grown up in Vermont. The Green Mountains and Lake Champlain were the perfect setting for outdoor activities. But as summer is relatively short, most of my memories are of fall and winter activities. What is Vermont if not maple …
I have found that simple recipes that are easy to prepare are necessary to maintain and sustain the Whole Food Plant Based lifestyle. If you need to spend your days meal prepping for hours, you’ll quickly lose focus and reach for something that is processed, easy, and likely non-compliant.
One of the first salads I made was Tabouli (also spelled Tabbouleh or Tabouleh), which is a dish I was first introduced to as a kid by the Lebanese mother of a friend. Easy to make and very fresh, I would enjoy it especially in the summer. But I found it was not substantial enough to satisfy my appetite. I wanted to borrow much of what I enjoyed about Tabouli, but create a salad I could use as an entree.
Bulgar wheat and finely chopped parsley are the base of the salad. If you have never had Bulgar wheat, you are missing out. It has a wonderful nutty flavor and chew. It is also super easy to make. Add one cup of dry Bulgar wheat to one cup of boiling water (slightly salted), turn off the heat, and leave covered for at least an hour. The grain will absorb all the liquid. With a fork, lightly scrape the Bulgar wheat into a bowl and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes. Now it is ready to use in the salad!
The ingredients for this salad are super simple, yet add a nice variety in flavors, textures, and colors. You can add or subtract based on your taste, but I love this combination. Plenty of veggies, grains, and legumes which are staples in the WFBP diet.
Ingredients:
One cup dry Bulgar wheat, prepared as described above (yields about two cups)
One bunch of curly leaf parsley, finely chopped
One pint of cherry tomatoes , sliced in half
One English Cucumber (peeled or unpeeled), quartered lengthwise and chopped into 3/4 inch pieces
One red bell pepper, seeded and diced into 3/4 inch pieces
1/4 of a large red onion, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
One can of Garbanzo beans, rinsed
One can of artichoke hearts, quartered, pack in water, and rinsed
1/2 cup of Kalamata olives, chopped
One lemon, juiced (roughly three tablespoons)
Salt and pepper to taste (I use pink Himalayan salt)
Easy peasy, right? After chopping the veggies, rinsing the beans and artichoke hearts, and juicing the lemon, it is just a matter of assembling the salad.
After all ingredients have been placed in the bowl, all that is left is to mix it up. I try to be careful in mixing the ingredients as the artichoke hearts can break up if you are not careful.
As you can see, the colors are vibrant and appealing. The dish is refreshing and actually keeps extremely well in the refrigerator for three to four days. I also think it is a perfect dish if you need to bring something to a party.
I personally get four to five servings as prepared above. Adjust accordingly if you are serving a larger group.
I added grilled, marinaded Portobello mushrooms to complete the meal, but they are not necessary. If you have meat eaters in your house, this is a nice side salad to complement fish or chicken.
Enjoy!
Please contact me with any questions or comments. I would love to get your feedback!