An abundance of springtime fruits and veggies are available to add to your farm box this week! What a perfect time to showcase vibrant produce for National Vegetarian Week. An increasing number of people are interested in plant-based meals, some for the nutritional benefit, some looking to add a sustainable practice, and others in search of economic value. Practicing plant-based living can feel great, while promoting health and well-being. Whether you are a vegetarian, meat-eater, pescatarian, flexitarian or vegan, eating more veggie food is a delicious way to do your part for the environment too. We have seven suggested activities you can do to veg out!
Plan a Week of Vegetarian Meals (and Customize Your Box)
Planning out a week’s worth of meals is a brilliant way to make your life a little easier. There are several blogs out there that provide a full vegetarian meal plan for one week to one month. You can also check out our recipes and blogs for inspiration. We highlight delicious recipes such as black bean and roasted root burger, spring ramen with snap peas and asparagus, and red cabbage salad. Check out more recipes here.
Before you make your grocery list, think about how many meals you will eat at home, then jot down the meals you have in mind. It’s always easier to have a couple meals that overlap with ingredients, so that you can make sure you will use all your fruits and veggies up during the week. If you are planning on going out for a meal or two, make sure to choose a restaurant that has a several vegetarian options.
Farm Box Members: Once you have your list, head over to our online Farm Stand Market to add the fruits, veggies, and artisan grocery items you need to your next farm box delivery! Pay attention to the Pantry and Meatless category options on the Add Farm Products page.
Share a Picture on Social
Post a picture of your farm box or a vegetarian meal you made on your preferred social platform and let others know that you are vegging out this week. You never know, you may just inspire others to do the same. Make sure to use hashtags #farmfreshtoyou #fftyunboxed #nationalvegetarianweek.
Have a Vegetarian Picnic
Pack your blanket and a basket full of veggie treats and head outdoors for a picnic. Whether you have time to head to a park, the beach, a forest setting, or just your backyard, you can enjoy some leisurely time while eating some fueled, good-for-you food.
Start A Kitchen Herb Garden
Growing kitchen herbs is a nice way to add some fresh flavor to your meals. Back To The Roots Kitchen Herb Garden offers an easy way to grow basil, mint, and cilantro as a kitchen companion. If you are a Farm Box Member, you can add this kit to your box during customization.
Pickle Spring Veggies
Pickling can be a super fun way to get your kids involved and create yummy fermented veggies within five days’ time. Below provides an easy recipe for pickling or you can add the Kraut Source Fermentation Kit when customizing your box. Either way, you will have some fantastic fermented food to enjoy and feel satisfied knowing you made them yourself.
Pickling Recipe:
1. Pick veggies or fruits (cucumber, carrots, beets, zucchini, green beans, etc.)
2. Put spices that you like on the bottom of the jar. Some of the more popular spices include allspice, bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, mustard seeds and peppercorns to name a few.
3. Put 1 grape leaf or oak leaf at the bottom to keep them crispy.
4. Wash produce and chop into pieces (you decide how big).
5. Pack into jar to the top of the label.
6. Make brine: mix about 2 + tablespoons of salt with a 16 oz (pint) of the best water you got (sea salt or mineral is best).
7. Pour brine over veggies till the fill line.
8. Put lid on with air lock and wait 5+ days, then taste!
Have a Plant-Based BBQ
The weather is perfect for a BBQ, so why not make it plant-based and celebrate the flavors of the season? This weekend get some friends or family together, light that barbecue, and cook up a veggie feast. With so many plant-based options available, there has never been a better time to enjoy grilling. Try veggie & tofu kababs, spiced sweet potato slices, or carrots with rosemary & thyme.
Play With Your Food
Create a food art masterpiece with your plant-based foods. Think you can make the Leaning Tower of Pisa with your zucchini or a wise owl out of fruit? Be creative and make your favorite animal, historic landmark, or landscape and share your food artwork on social media before devouring your edible art.
6 pm, 2 days before your scheduled delivery day. After you confirm your produce items, click the orange button "Confirm and Continue To Other Farm Products" to add the products to your delivery.
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