I really do think that I am the worst ever foodie in the world. Not only do I have a completely unsophisticated palate (although I don’t really think this makes me a bad foodie, just a very easily pleased one), I also never shop organic, well, unless it’s convenient anyway. It’s not that I don’t want to eat organic, but then I gotta travel to get it. On most weekends, you’ll find me not at the farmer’s market, but wandering the aisles of Marks & Sparks Simply Food, picking up my pre-cut, pre-washed, pre-packaged, pre-chemical injected vegetables. But if it says it’s organic, then I’ll pick that up, only cos it’s there.
Ok, so I’m a lazy foodie.
So when Abel & Cole offered to provide me with a FREE organic veg box and a FREE organic chicken, just so I could try their products by my own FREE will for FREE, I jumped at the opportunity. Not cos it’s FREE, mind you. But because it’s organic, and it’s home delivered. Oh and did I mention it was for free*?
Truth be told, my first impression of Abel & Cole was not the very best. The initial contact was fine, but expected delivery for Monday last week failed and a reschudule for yesterday did eventually arrive, albeit five hours later than promised.
But nevermind that, I told Abel & Cole to surprise me with the contents of the order and reeling from the side effects of not knowing what I was going to have for dinner last night (Total Control Freak), when the delivery man finally knocked on my door, I practically yanked the box from him and ripped it open like it was Christmas morning.
And holy moly, did it feel like Christmas. Because even as a child, I totally rated edible presents over toys.
Abel & Cole packed what seemed like weeks worth of vegetables into one little box, and being organic (no preservatives and all that), am I supposed to eat all this, this week? Not that that’s a problem – if I actually knew what to do with half the stuff! For the list makers amongst you, the box contained:
- beetroot bunch
- broad beans
- carrots
- clementines (which us Aussies call mandarins)
- courgettes (which us Aussies call zucchinis)
- green cabbage
- green lettuce
- mini watermelon (which I don’t think is all that mini)
- new potatoes
- rhubarb
- whole chicken, including giblets (yum!)
Now don’t laugh, but I have never ever manhandled a raw beetroot. I love the stuff, don’t get me wrong, but don’t they grow in cans? As for rhubarbs, well I’m pretty sure them things, they grow in crumbles.
Faced with way too many options, I basically ini-mini-miney-moe’d my way around the box and even though I totally thought I’d rigged it so that I’d land on courgettes, I landed on beetroot instead. And then broad beans. My maths sucks so bad.
I had no flip-flappin’ idea what to do with the little beets, but in a moment of brilliance inspired by this month’s issue of Cosmo and the article on ‘10 questions to take you to orgasm heaven’ whoops I meant the other article ’10 snacks that slim you down’, I decided to make beetroot chips, because well, they suggested sweet potato chips, but whatever, close enough.
The beetroot chips turned out fantastic, I baked them naked (no salt, no oil – this is me taking organic to the maxxx) and they tasted awesome, while looking suspiciously like rose petals.
The broad beans on the other hand, well I was comfortable with them cos beans are beans, right? I think I completely phucked them up because after coming out of their pods, was I meant to take them out of the little white space suits they were wearing? Cos I didn’t. But I ate them just the same.
| Honey spiced chicken |
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| 2 pieces chicken thigh (with skin) 2 Tablespoons red onion relish (if you’re really clever, you can make your own) 1 Tablespoon clear honey 2 teaspoons soy sauce 2 Tablespoons red wine 2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard 2 cloves garlic, crushed Chilli flakes to taste Salt & pepper to taste |
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| Serves 2. |
| Beetroot chips |
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| 4 small beetroots Salt to taste |
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| Shared. |
*Interestingly when Abel & Cole contacted me, they expressly stated that even though the box was complimentary, I should blog my own opinion of the products. Like, was I not going to do that in the first place?