Author: Boston Organics

Ever feel intimidated by cooking instructions? Not sure what to do with vegetables you receive in your Boston Organics box? Experienced cook but not quite clear on the difference between simmering and boiling? Brushing up on just a few cooking skills and terms will help you follow any recipe, or tackle any new produce item you encounter in your Boston Organics box.

To support sustainable food systems, eating organic is pretty much a slam dunk – right? By choosing organic foods, consumers can look forward to increased ecological biodiversity, healthier soil and water, and an absence of GMOs, synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.

But the lifespan and, as a result, the impact of our food doesn’t stop there. Between the farms and our forks are vast systems responsible for the movement of fresh food all year round. And right in the midst is Boston Organics!

Healthy Eating Can Be Simple

Follow these guidelines for eating a balanced diet for better health and wellness.

It’s October which means crisp, cool days, changing leaves and all the trappings of Halloween: ghost stories, haunted houses and cobwebs draped on front porches. Even if you can see through a costumed zombie or don’t feel any need to avoid haunted spots on All Hallows' Eve, the ghosts of wasted food may pop up to spook you.

Food waste is a significant problem: about 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted worldwide every year. Don’t be haunted by food that you throw away. Check out these four scary facts about food waste, and learn what you can do to avoid it (no witch’s brew required).

From outdoor movies to beach outings to hikes to cookouts, we're all into making the most of these last days of summer, and that includes taking advantage of all the fabulous produce  available this time of year - eggplant, summer squash, tomatoes, corn and more! This week we’re here with foolproof late August comfort food recipes that'll help you embrace the summer vibe while eating healthy and locally.

8/22/22 No fresh maine wild blueberries this season🙁🙁

It was with heavy heart that we have not been able to procure any fresh Maine Wild Blueberries this season.

Field loss due to extreme heat and drought along with an acute labor shortage have resulted in one of the most challenging seasons since we started delivering the fresh blueberries almost 20 years ago.

We've reached out to our network of growers, suppliers as well as made some cold calls. They've all reported back with similar feedback....

“Thanks for checking in, --we do a lot of fresh-pack organic wild blueberries…, and we've had the same issues (as your network) this year = heat stress on the fruit and short-handed with labor. Our harvest ended last week, with several acres lost in the field, shriveled on the vine. So sorry we can't help you --but feel free to reach out in future years.”

“.. not enough labor to make it happen. We haven’t even been able to get enough fresh out to cover farmers markets.”

“As of this morning all three of my producers have struck out. Labor issues, crop damage from that heat….. They are disheartened and don’t like to disappoint. Apologies from all of us on this one, we don’t like to let you down.”

We are looking into offering frozen wild blueberries and will keep you all posted.

Sorry again for the disappointment. We hope next year will be better. 

Sincerely,

The Boston Organics' Crew

8/15/22 Bad News Blues

Unfortunately, Wild Maine Blueberries will not be available this week. The extreme heat has taken its toll on our beloved berries causing extensive damage to the fields. And, as if that's not bad news enough, one of our dependable partner family farms was unable to harvest due to non-Covid related illness. We’re hoping they’ll be tip-top and able to pick this weekend, with blueberries available next week. We've got our fingers crossed! If all goes well we will include your Wild Maine Blueberries in your subsequent order unless you choose to remove it from your subscription.

August/September are wild blueberry harvesting season! It's a short, sporadic season so get them while you can! We have organic blueberries (half-pint) available as an add-on almost year-round, but wild blueberries are in another league entirely.

If you’re a native New Englander or longtime Boston resident, then August is probably one of your favorite months for fresh, organic fruit. Not only are juicy heirloom tomatoes ready for harvest and stone fruit at its peak, it’s also the heart of the short but spectacular wild blueberry season.

The Boston Organics Community includes some pretty talented farmers, but there are some things that nature simply does better than any human can. One such thing is growing blueberries.

We’ve had organic blueberries available as an add-on for several weeks, but wild blueberries—the kind that you dreamt about as a kid—are in another league entirely.

Ingredients

Recipe

Whether mixology is your thing or you'd rather pop open a can or bottle and pour it over ice we've got flavored sparkling waters, shrubs, ciders and kombuchas that are ready-to-drink or the perfect base for your favorite concoction, or one of ours!

Tacos are not just for Tuesdays! They're the perfect-middle-of-the week-last minute supper; great for quick lunches; an excellent way to use up leftovers and a crowd pleaser.

So, open the fridge and pull out some cheese, lettuce, salsa, sour cream, avocado, hot sauce and whatever leftovers you've got on hand. Chicken would be perfect. Boiled eggs, why not? Roasted or grilled vegetables, YES! Fish, sure!

Get a can of beans out of the pantry, make some jarred salsa too. Chop up some onions - any kind will do - and cilantro if you've got it and let everyone make their own. Or get fancy and quesadilla it up by heating a frying pan or griddle, sandwich the filling between two tortillas with cheese between the filling and wrapper to 'glue' it together and cook on each side until heated through.

Some fresh lime juice is always welcome to brighten everything up. Enjoy!