Early spring can be a time of waiting and excitement. Warm days are so close we can taste them and new plants stretch slowly above the soil before the real green explosion begins. It can also be a time for seeking, whether we're looking for the first tiny blooms or chocolate eggs hidden in the yard. Don't worry though, your Boston Organics boxes will still come right to your door, though they contain plenty of produce to get excited about.
Cherished Citrus
If you’re celebrating Easter this Sunday, or are just glad it’s the weekend, citrus is on hand to lend bright, fresh flavor to all your festive treats. This Mascarpone Tart with Honey, Oranges, and Pistachios recipe is a lightly sweet dessert and perfect finale to a lamb dinner. If dessert just isn’t dessert without chocolate, give this rich Flourless Orange Chocolate Cake a try.
Of course, a plain orange can satisfy a sweet tooth. We love discovering the brightly colored flesh of pink Cara Cara oranges and the surprisingly rich red insides of blood oranges. And we wouldn’t mind finding a crop of Tango Mandarins nestled in our bunny baskets. These sweet little orange gems are a mutation of the Murcott Mandarin, a favorite California variety. Their major advantage, however, is that in addition to sharing the Murcott’s easy-to-peel skin, the Tango is seedless.
Easter Basket Treasures
Several other colorful treats will grace this week's boxes as well, including bags of mini rainbow potatoes in this week’s boxes. These colorful tubers resemble cheerful Easter eggs, and make a crispy and attractive side in this recipe for Roasted Rainbow Potato Rows, a variation on Hasselback potatoes.
Roma tomatoes will also be nestled in green boxes, and are excellent for making sauces and pastes because they contain few seeds. The big beautiful mangoes you will see this week are Tommy Atkins, the iconic yellow-red skinned fruit. Test for ripeness by gently squeezing the mango. Zucchini offers a preview of summer. Bring some spring green to your weekend brunch table with Baby Basil-Zucchini Muffins.Parsnips Spring Forward
One of the most exciting produce items are the spring dug parsnips from Winter Moon Farms. These roots are planted in the fall, and then left in the field to over-winter. When they are harvested in the spring, the parsnips have a wonderfully sweet flavor. To learn more about how this happens, check out our blog. To highlight the parsnips’ nutty flavor, we recommend making Miso Glazed Tofu with Parsnips Two Ways.
See the table below for a complete list of this week's local produce.
Get crafty this week and color some eggs using homemade dyes. Many veggies and spices, from red cabbage to onion skins to turmeric can add beautiful color to your eggs. Check out this recipe for instructions!
This Week's Local Produce
Dwight Miller and Son Orchards
Apples |
Happy Valley Organics
Dill |
All of the fruits and vegetables we deliver are grown without synthetic pesticides and are USDA certified organic. Interested in receiving produce that's both organic and locally sourced all year round? Check out our Local Dogma Box.
Similar to a CSA or farm share, our Local Dogma Box is filled with the best organic produce from local and regional farms and brought right to your door each week. It's the easiest way to eat like a locavore!
