I wanted to share with you my experiences of the Veg In A Box service from their ordering, customer service, delivery and the quality of the fruit and vegetables. I will also share a few recipes that I’ve made using the ingredients inside the box.
Firstly here is a little bit about Veg In A Box. They are a family run business and started making fruit and veg boxes up for some of their friends using local produce from their farmer neighbours. They went down a storm and looked and tasted wonderful. From the first few attempts they decided to put up some pictures on Facebook. This created a lot of interest from friends and family. Word of the boxes really began to spread!
They approached Dart Fresh Produce in Topsham and after seeing what fantastic local produce they offered Veg In A Box decided to use them as their sole supplier. Their policy is to support as many local farmers and producers as possible which I love. I am all for supporting our local producers and artisans. In addition to the delicious pre-made boxes, which you can buy from the Veg In A Box website, they also like to offer a totally customised box which I think is a fantastic idea. Very few other veg box companies do this and I think it sets Veg In A Box apart from their competitors. The boxes cover a wide range of prices so they can cater for all budgets. If you want to give them a call they will make something bespoke for you. How fantastic is that?! My box was a customised “Kickstarter” box. It was slightly reduced in size due to the fact that there are only two people in my household (plus multiple cats!). Bela and Julie were keen to offer their help whilst choosing the contents of my box and their customer service is second to none. They pride themselves on having a one to one relationship with their customers which I can personally vouch for. This in turn keeps the service as personal and tailor-made as possible.
I met Julie when she delivered my box and her passion for her produce was evident. Such a lovely lady.. She told me a little bit about the provenance of my fruit and veg and said it was her pleasure when I thanked her for the gorgeous looking box of goodies that she presented me with.
Once Bela had driven off in her cute personalised Veg In A Box van I excitedly started unpacking all of the goodies. It was like a lucky dip of treasures.. Asparagus, kale, leeks, root veg in abundance, courgettes, kiwis, berries, apricots, mango, apples, ginger, chillis, onions, spring onions… The list goes on and on. On top of this there was half a dozen Black Dog eggs, some diced beef, minced beef and some exciting curry powder from Boom Revolution. I can’t wait to create a delicious curry with that!
- 2tsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 6 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped or minced
- The zest and juice of one lemon
- 6 new potatoes chopped into 1cm dice
- 400g shredded kale
- 100g frozen peas
- 1/4 head of pointed cabbage finely sliced
- 1 small red chilli, finely sliced
- 1.25 litres vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper
- 25g grated cheese.. Parmesan, Pecorino or Cheddar
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the sliced onion, spring onions and garlic. Add a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper and cook gently for 7-8 minutes until soft.
- Add the stock and the potatoes. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for another 8 minutes. Add the frozen peas, kale and cabbage and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the juice and zest of the lemon and season. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with cheese and a few slices of red chilli.
I’ve been able to create a number of yummy breakfasts, lunches and suppers out of my box. The freshness of all the fruit and vegetables from this box has been outstanding.
- 1 romaine heart
- 2 tablespoons of regular olive oil
- 1 Clive of garlic, finely grated or minced
- 4 anchovy fillets (the sort packed in oil), finely chopped
- Zest and juice of half lemon plus the other half to serve
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- Parmesan to shave over the top
- Preheat the oven to 220C/gas mark 7
- Cut the romaine lettuce in half lengthways and lay both halves on a baking tray cut side up. Mix the olive oil, minced garlic and chopped anchovies together in a small bowl and spoon over the lettuce. Place in the oven for 10 minutes then add the grated zest and juice and place back in the oven for another 5 minutes. The lettuce should wilt and go slightly charred on the edges.
- Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan and crack the two eggs into the pan and fry until the whites are cooked through but the yolks are still runny.
- To serve place half the romaine on a plate and top with a fried egg. Using a vegetable peeler shave strips of the Parmesan over each plate. Serve with a lemon wedge to squeeze over the top.
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 dessertspoon peanut butter
- 100ml Soya milk (or any other milk
- Fresh berries. I used raspberries and blueberries
- Local honey
- Place the frozen banana, cinnamon, peanut butter and milk in a blender and blitz until you get a soft ice cream consistency. Spoon into a bowl and top with your berries and honey. So easy and so tasty.
- 1 mug self raising flour
- 1 mug of milk. I used soya but use whatever type you like.
- 1 egg
- A pinch of salt
- 2 apricots, stoned and chopped into small pieces
- To make the batter crack the egg into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the flour, milk and a small pinch of salt.
- Whisk ingredients together to make a smooth batter.
- Add apricots and fold through.
- Put a frying pan on a medium heat and add 1/2 tablespoon of oil.
- Tilt the pan to spread the oil out evenly.
- Add a few ladles of batter to the pan, leaving enough space between each one so they have enough space to spread a little. Each ladleful will make one pancake.
- Cook the pancakes 1-2 minutes on each side or until little bubbles appear on the surface and the base is golden then flip them over.
- When the pancakes are golden on both sides use a fish slice to transfer the pancakes into a plate.
- Serve the pancakes straight away with a dollop of natural yoghurt, maple syrup or honey. Or try apricot jam, clotted cream and mixed berries for an indulgent twist. So tasty!
- 1 small bag of new potatoes cut into 2cm pieces
- 20g bunch of fresh mint
- 100ml olive oil
- 75g cashews
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt
- Tear the mint leaves from their stems.
- Place ingredients into a food processor and blitz for 30 seconds or so to make a paste. Store in an airtight container making sure there is a layer of oil to create a seal. It will keep for a week in the fridge.
- Meanwhile place the potatoes in boiling, salted water and cook until tender. Drain and let them steam in the colander for a few minutes to remove excess liquid. Mix a good dessert spoon (more if required) into the potatoes whilst still warm. Serve as a side dish with meat or fish. This pesto is also perfect with pasta and drizzled over roasted vegetables.
- 2 large carrots
- 2 courgettes
- Handful sunflower seeds
- Handful pumpkin seeds
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cider vinager
- I teaspoon paprika.
- Salt and pepper
- Use a vegetable peeler to peel the carrots and then peel both courgettes and carrots into thin strips. Leave the centre of the courgettes and carrots as they are difficult to peel.
- Toast the seeds carefully in a dry frying pan until slightly golden and remove from the heat.
- Place the strips of carrot and courgette in a large bowl and pour in the oil, vinager and seeds over the top and use your hands to toss altogether. Sprinkle the paprika, salt and pepper over the salad and serve.
You can see from my photos here the quality and choice within the Veg In A Box “Kickstarter” box. I can’t emphasis enough how impressed I was when Bela dropped it off. I urge you to give this lovely family business a try. You won’t be disappointed I promise you.