by Anne Naumann
Hopefully, like me, those who have been ordering Good Food Boxes through the Highland Park CA depot are finding they provide excellent value. I also find it’s like getting a surprise gift, because we never really know what will be in each month’s box. It was exciting to see broccoli in the last box. This last month, the small ($25) box I ordered contained the following: one bag green grapes, one head romaine lettuce, one pint (551 ml) grape tomatoes, two heads broccoli, three navel oranges, one grapefruit, one medium sweet potato, three lbs. onions, five lbs. russet potatoes, two lbs. carrots, three gala apples, and a recipe for “Ramen On The Run” which consisted of veggies added to ramen soup with an alternate option of a homemade soup base.
Check the Upcoming Events article elsewhere in this newsletter regarding the upcoming Good Food Box order and pick-up dates. Please keep in mind that if you are ordering via e-transfer to me at [email protected] for the first time, please also send us a follow up email to [email protected] with your contact information (phone and email) so we can contact you to remind you about the pick-up date and the next order date. If you are a new customer, we also need some basic demographics from you regarding how many people your box order will feed: number of adults (18 to 65), youth (0 to 17), seniors (65+), and families. We provide a summary of this information to the Community Kitchen folks for their grant reporting each month.
Here’s a recipe I made with the broccoli from the Good Food Box. I didn’t really measure, so the amounts are my best guesses.
Broccoli in Black Bean Sauce
Servings: At least four
Prep And Cook Time: Approximately 30 minutes
Kitchen Supplies Needed: Large frying pan or a wok, measuring cup and spoons
Ingredients:
• 2 Tbsp. butter, ghee, or cooking oil
• 3 or so cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped finely
• 2 heads of broccoli, chopped into small chunks, including the stems if you want
• 2 to 3 Tbsp. black bean sauce from the grocery store
• 2 to 3 Tbsp. soy sauce or gluten-free tamari sauce
• 2 to 3 Tbsp. cornstarch, mixed into 2 to 3 Tbsp. water or cooking wine to make a slurry
Directions:
• Heat oil or butter in frying pan over medium heat (or medium high if using a wok). Add chopped garlic and sauté until starting to brown. Add chopped broccoli and stir until beginning to turn dark green with some browning.
• Add sauces, and cornstarch and water mixture. Stir to coat the broccoli and stir periodically until the cornstarch begins to thicken the sauce. After a few minutes, you can add a few tablespoons of water if it seems too thick, or more cornstarch mixed with a bit more water (or cooking wine) if it seems too runny. The cornstarch needs a few minutes to cook and do its thickening work.
• Taste the sauce to see if it seems to need a bit more of anything. Add seasonings as desired including salt, onion powder, pepper, or whatever you think. The sauce should be about as thick as corn syrup when it’s done.
• Serve and enjoy!
