A Southern Grace: delightful deliveries

April 27, 2016

delightful deliveries

Yum

I like grocery shopping, but I also like when delicious things are delivered to my door.


I'm happy to tell you folks about The Produce Box, an organization of more than 200 stay-at-home moms and dads who provide home-delivered produce year round in North Carolina, specifically the Triangle, Triad, Wilmington, and now Charlotte. The company works with local farmers and food producers to provide direct delivery from farms to subscribers. Subscribers have the option of choosing from up to eight boxes and can make swaps and add other items such as local meats, artisanal cheeses, granola, and fresh-baked breads. There are no contracts involved, simply order or skip as needed. Every order supports local farmers, provides food for families in need, and helps raise funds for local schools and non-profits.


If you live in NC, I encourage you to see if The Produce Box is accessible to you! The choices are fun and mixed, and all of the items I received were of good quality and delicious. Believe it or not, I'd never purchased Bibb lettuce and never even worked with leeks, so I found the enclosed paper detailing each item (when to eat it, how to store it, some good ideas for preparing it) VERY helpful.


I'd been meaning to try this sweet potato recipe from the much-acclaimed Gjelina cookbook. It didn't disappoint! The flavors are complex but not too crazy and the method is easy but effective. I had my doubts that such random sauce would be good, but it was bright and creamy and refreshing, the perfect complement to the sweet potatoes. I love it when a plan comes together!

Sweet and Savory Sweet Potatoes
Based on this recipe from this book
(printable recipe)
Serves 3-6
Ingredients:
  • 2 large sweet potatoes
  • 1 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
  • 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, approximately 1 lime
Directions:
Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut each sweet potato lengthwise into wedges.
Put the wedges in a large bowl, and toss them with the honey, 1 teaspoon rosemary and 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, and olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes or so as the oven heats, tossing once or twice to coat.
Transfer the potatoes to a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and then bake until they are deeply caramelized around the edges and soft when pierced with a fork at their thickest part, approximately 30 to 35 minutes.
As the potatoes roast, combine the yogurt and lime juice in a small bowl, and whisk to combine, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
When the potatoes are done, transfer them to a serving platter, drizzle the yogurt over them and garnish with the remaining rosemary and red pepper flakes and some flaky sea salt, if desired. Serve immediately.

16 comments:

Pam said...

I love that! It's a great way to support local farmers. I also love that you will be introduced to different fruits and veggies that you normally wouldn't buy.

The sweet potatoes look awesome!

Marjie said...

That is a wonderful way to get your produce! And your sweet potatoes look delicious.

Angie's Recipes said...

Produce directly from local farmers sounds like a great idea.
Those sweet potato wedges look mouthwatering.

Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies said...

I have to save this for my sister. Her husband has an interview in the area, and this is something that they would definitely support!

~~louise~~ said...

Hi Grace,
I just popped over to the Produce Box website. Waaaay Cooool! (I do think your post should be on their splash page though along with the others:)

I LOVE, love, love this recipe! Marion is a huge fan of sweet potatoes but, she will only eat them one way, baked in the oven with way too much brown sugar and butter. I am thrilled with the dressing on these potatoes. I would never have thought to bake them quite this way and am so excited to try them. (I'll be using fresh homemade yogurt:)

Thanks so much for sharing, Grace. I'm excited for you to be introduced to "new" produce. Have fun with it! I'll be pinning this recipe and will get back to you with Marion's "verdict."

Barbara said...

Super idea, Grace! So important to support our local farmers.
I do love sweet potatoes, this looks like a winner of a recipe.

Kate @ Framed Cooks said...

I have to tell my daughter (who lives in Cary NC) about this box of deliciousness!

lisa is cooking said...

Sounds like a great service! Doing good and delivering good stuff. The yogurt sauce looks delicious drizzled over the sweet potatoes!

Carolyn Jung said...

I love produce boxes like that. The veggies are always so fresh. The flavor is just head and shoulders above what you find at the supermarket.

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...

What a lovely idea! You can't beat freshness like that! :D

Marcelle said...

Hi Grace, we have have a local farmer's market that offers similar produce boxes weekly and I believe it's such a terrific thing to support local farmers :) We are sweet potato lovers in this fam and the lime-yogurt sauce in this recipe looks really tasty!

Emily said...

I may have to consider using the Produce Box very soon! I'll be moving to North Carolina next month! I love your new blog design, by the way.

Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl said...

Great box, I love how fresh it is while supporting the local community! Thanks for letting me kow about this!

Inger @ Art of Natural Living said...

How fun! Like a CSA Plus!

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Savor The Baking said...

I am definitely a sweet potato girl. This recipe has my heart.