Organic Boxes and Menu Planning...

Just wondered how other people got on menu planning and using a veg box delivery. I have just started having a 1/2 organic veg and full fruit box delivered a week. This week I had enough potatoes for one meal and 3 carrots, 4 onions, 2 courgettes, 1 tomato, 1/2 pumpkin, 1 celeriac, 4 bananas, 2 oranges, 2 apples and 2 pears. Was happy with this for £8, as all tasted lovely and good to know supporting local farmers/businesses rather than supermarkets and organic. Think though that I will try full veg box next week (total will be £11) as there are 2 adults and 3 children.

But just wondering how you get on with menu planning and not knowing quite what food will come. I only menu plan supper not lunches, so used the pumpkin for soup for lunch, added the celeriac to mash on a fish pie I'd planned - and only tend to plan the 'main item' anyway, so guess can add veg as I go along. Did go to butchers and get 2lb beef mince and 2 lb pork mince and make up 2 big lasagnes using courgettes and carrots for freezer and a load of meatballs using onions.

So think I will manage but have just drawn up my menu plan for 4 weeks from Monday and am slightly nervous as to how it will go, would love to hear others experiences of using veg box delivery services. Thanks

Comments

  • seraphina
    seraphina Posts: 1,145
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    Hi Rainbowkanga,

    We used to get an Abel and Cole organic box - it was one of the few they delivered nationwide. It didn't last long because we had such a problem meal planning with it. We also found that we never got enough of any one thing to make a meal out of. For example, if we got mushrooms, and wanted to make mushroom risotto, we'd first have to go out and buy some more mushrooms so we had enough! There's only so much vegetable curry and soups you can eat :confused: I guess this would depend heavily on your supplier though. we also found that the quality of Abel and Cole veg wasn't great - with organic produce I expect blemishes and funny shapes but I don't expect rotting and bruised items.

    We now go occasionally to a farm shop up the road, but as it's open only 9-5 most of our veg comes from Tesco, unfortunately!
  • melancholly
    melancholly Posts: 7,457
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    I cook just for me during the week and sometimes for two at weekends. I get a 'mediterranean mix' bag once a week and just know that it will do 3 days worth of pasta. so my menu planning isn't as exact as it could be, but i've been learning to cook new things (identifying a circular yellow courgette took some time!). I tend to have a rough idea of what i want to cook, then wait until the bag arrives to see what i've got! Takes a bit of adjustment but after a few weeks you'll have a very good idea of how many meals the veg will stretch too, then it's a lot easier to plan. It's also quite nice to get a bit of a surprise when you plan it all yourself!!
    :happyhear
  • squeaky
    squeaky Posts: 14,129
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    I only plan in a rough sort of way what I'm going to eat. My box lasts me two weeks, so in that two week period in any order that I feel like doing them on the day I'll make something with mince (to last two or three meals) usually a stew or a casserole with whatever veggies come in the box on the side, same for chicken (whole and rubber), one fish meal, and one of each of the above with rice and same again for pasta.

    I'll "plan" a stir fry or a casserole to use up most of the veg in week two some time and also do plan on freezing some of the seasonal veg so I can have it in the summer. Right now I'm putting away mixes of diced carrots/turnip/parsnip (blanched) so that I can serve them up as is, use them in a soup (whizzed), add mince and onion for pasties/pies.

    You're right - a meal plan carved in stone won't work very well with a veg box, but a little flexibilty and some ingenuity can mean a good variety of meals with no waste.

    Add this to the fact that for any given veg we have ideas listed in the various indexes, not to mention well recommended websites, that you can always find something to make with whatever you have to hand and no two meals need ever be the same again :)

    Honest :)
    Hi, I'm a Board Guide on the Old Style and the Consumer Rights boards which means I'm a volunteer to help the boards run smoothly and can move and merge posts there. Board guides are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an inappropriate or illegal post then please report it to [email protected]. It is not part of my role to deal with reportable posts. Any views are mine and are not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
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  • comping_cat
    comping_cat Posts: 24,006
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    In our area (Cornwall) Riverford our are local organic box delivery, and they have a website that states what is in their organic boxes for that week, dont know if any of the other firms do the same, it is a very good idea as it would def help with the meal planning!!!!
  • jennet1
    jennet1 Posts: 199 Forumite
    catowen wrote:
    In our area (Cornwall) Riverford our are local organic box delivery, and they have a website that states what is in their organic boxes for that week, dont know if any of the other firms do the same, it is a very good idea as it would def help with the meal planning!!!!

    Yes Farmaround does this too, In winter I usually find root veg to fill out a stew each week and in summer salads or roasted veg, mediterranien(sp) style
  • metherer
    metherer Posts: 560 Forumite
    Anyone know of any delivery services in the Skipton, North Yorkshire area?

    Metherer
    Not heavily in debt, but still trying to sort things out.
    Baby due July 2018.
  • squeaky
    squeaky Posts: 14,129
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    Try your postcode or nearest town at the website below:-

    www.bigbarn.co.uk

    If you don't have any luck by all means ask again :)
    Hi, I'm a Board Guide on the Old Style and the Consumer Rights boards which means I'm a volunteer to help the boards run smoothly and can move and merge posts there. Board guides are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an inappropriate or illegal post then please report it to [email protected]. It is not part of my role to deal with reportable posts. Any views are mine and are not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
    Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.
    DTFAC: Y.T.D = £5.20 Apr £0.50
  • metherer
    metherer Posts: 560 Forumite
    cheers, will try it now.
    Not heavily in debt, but still trying to sort things out.
    Baby due July 2018.
  • I find Riverford Organic is flexible enough for my needs but still have this problem as I live in a place where one gets depressed and end up wasting fruit and veg despite Riverfords historical flexibility which makes them very highly recommended by me.
    #TY[/B] Would be Qaulity MSE Challenge Queen.
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  • ceridwen
    ceridwen Posts: 11,547
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    One thing I am doing/have now largely finished is to make up a recipe folder specifically for fruit and vegetable recipes/ideas.

    As I find a recipe I might like that majors in a specific fruit or vegetable - I put it in that folder. Its in alphabetical order - ie apples, bananas....tomatoes type layout.

    Under carrots, for instance, I have sweet (as well as savoury) recipes. There are even just basic ideas that I hadnt yet tried - eg carrot mash.
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