Author: Tristan Klesick

This newsletter is going way back to 1979 to a time when I was kid. My children have had a distinct advantage over me when I was growing up. I was a Hamburger Helper and Fruit Loops kid and wouldn’t have known a Fuji from a Granny Smith apple or a Navel from a Valencia Orange. My only experience with fresh produce are fond memories of shelling peas on grandma’s back porch and carrying the 4th of July “seeded” Watermelon to the family picnic. 
Fast forward to 1994, happily married with 3 of our own kiddos. This is when I began a career in retail produce. It wouldn’t be for another 4 years until Joelle and I would launch the Organic Produce Shoppe and then a few more years before we added farming and home delivery.

Those early years are where I gained a lot of experience about the seasonality and quality of produce. I have trimmed tens of thousand lettuce and spinach bunches, handled even more apples and citrus. At my core, I am a good food advocate and love working with quality growers and fresh produce.

I remember it as if it was yesterday, I was interviewing for a manager position after a few years of working in the industry. It was a walk and talk interview. It is not uncommon for me to ask questions when one enters my mind. I am just curious and like to learn. As we were walking through the fruit displays, I asked, “Where did you get grapefruit this time of year?” The manager hiring me said, “California???” This is not the question a potential manager candidate should have asked (smile). 

To be completely honest my only experience was in boutique high quality produce markets. The owner of the company where I started my career never carried grapefruit from California. He was partial to Texas and Florida, which are harvested at a different time. And for sure, those are two really good grapefruit growing regions, but California also grows some outstanding citrus. 

This week we are featuring some of that beautiful grapefruit from California. When I eat grapefruit, am less likely to use a grapefruit spoon, but opt for cutting it into wedges and eating them like that. 

I did still get that job, because the manager was looking for a person with an eye for quality. Quality is still a driving factor for our small business and customer satisfaction. 
– Thank you for allowing our family to serve yours,

Tristan, Joelle, Alaina and the Box of Good crew

                     Week of March 12^th, 2023        

 It seems that many of the American foods commonly used to celebrate the St. Patrick’s holiday are not actually typical Irish fare! So we’re going to focus on a couple that ARE cherished Irish dishes!  

Colcannon, which is basically mashed potatoes with fried cabbage or kale and fried green onions or leek, is a popular Irish dish historically and to this day. The term colcannon is derived from a Gaelic term which means white-headed cabbage. Potato and cabbage dishes were popular because they were cheap, year-round comfort foods, as well as nutritious, calorie-dense and durable against the elements. Colcannon was often enjoyed alongside ham, bacon or salt pork. Colcannon is rich in flavor from the leeks or onions, and rich in texture from the chopped cabbage or kale. Most recipes include lots of melted butter and cream. Leftovers can be made into patties and fried up for breakfast. When made with kale, it takes on a beautiful green color, so no need to worry about dying it green!  

(Speaking of which, if you’d like to color something green, try combining spinach and water in a frying pan. Heat on low-medium heat, stir until spinach is wilted. Whip in a blender or food processor and then strain through cheesecloth. Use the green water for coloring in your favorite dishes.)   

Irish stew is another popular dish in Ireland, both today and historically. As a matter of fact Irish stew is considered Ireland’s national dish. It took on its popularity in the 1800’s and was a common food for the ordinary and poor people, due to the cheap and filling ingredients. It used cheaper cuts of beef, mutton or lamb. It was slow-cooked to bring out the flavor and also to tender the meat. It usually included root vegetables that were easily stored and readily available, such as potatoes, parsnips, turnips and carrots. What was once a dish of necessity later became a simple comfort food. 

Thank you for choosing Box of Good for you and your family. 

• Tristan 

Spinach and Shallots                              Week of January 26^th, 2023        

This week we are offering a great menu. As I was looking over the menu, I really enjoyed the nice assortment of fruits and vegetables that are featured in your Box of Good that Alaina and Kelsey selected. I was immediately drawn to the shallots and spinach. Of course, it is not the local farm season for spinach, but when I saw spinach on the menu, my mind drifted off to a cool fall morning in late September a decade or more ago. 

  We were on “bolt” alert for this crop. It was a variety that often could grow twice the size of normal spinach if the right conditions were present. I was nervous that we would lose the crop if we waited much longer. The leaves were huge, so big I remember my daughter holding up one leaf and she hid her entire face behind it 🙂. Everything had to line up perfectly for this to happen and that Fall season it all lined up. 

Bolting is a term used to describe when a plant goes to seed. You see this in a lot of vegetating crops like spinach, chard, kale, etc. A change in weather or prolonged heat can cause stress and because the plant’s primary goal is reproduction at some point it will switch from growing to seed production. When a plant thinks it has enough reserves, it can at any moment start bolting and switch to making seeds. My goal is to help the plant stay in growing mode. Yes, you can often eat plants in the bolting stage, but normally they are getting tougher and can have a bitter taste. This stage is usually called Raab, like Broccoli Raab or Kale Raab.  

This week California “non bolting” spinach is on the menu with WA shallots. Here is my take on spinach and shallots. After I had washed the spinach and discarded the stem ends. I would chop it up, add blackberries, raw shallots, thinly sliced, and drizzle with a fruity vinaigrette. Or if I was looking to cook a quick meal, I would sauté the shallots and red pepper with some garlic in some butter or olive oil until they were translucent and then toss in the spinach and wilt it down. Season with salt and pepper or your favorite seasoning and serve ASAP.  
 

Lastly Spinach is great added to soups, smoothies and salads.  

Thank you for choosing Box of Good for you and your family. 

• Tristan, Joelle, and Alaina and the Box of Good Crew  

                Week of February 12^th, 2023        

The Spring Broccoli coming out of California has been absolutely, hands down, super fresh and tasty. I know after years of farming, some things just get my attention. And the Broccoli has been front and center. Personally I love to boil broccoli. “What did he say ‘boil’ broccoli?” I absolutely said boil. I did not say, “Boil to oblivion!” I like to add a generous amount of salt to the water, so it tastes salty. Then I cut up the stems into 1/4”x1/4” chunks and then add the florets. I will then toss all of the broccoli into the water. If I had an hour or more I would let the broccoli sit and then bring it to a boil. It will take only a few minutes to cook once the water begins to boil, but check with a fork or knife for your desired tenderness. When it is perfect for you, strain and eat. I don’t think you need to add anything but you could season it with butter or some parmesan or whatever your family’s go to seasonings are.  

Asparagus (resharing from last week) 

When I first started in the produce industry it was in NW Portland in 1993. I was a produce clerk, learning the difference between butter lettuce and leaf lettuce or navels and valencias. I remember my first Thanksgiving Holiday asif it was yesterday. In those days, we would work overnight and get the store ready for holiday shoppers. The owner came wandering through at 4am and I was on the other side of the produce rack and I heard him say, “The grass display is a little light”. I set that side of the rack and after he left I asked the manager, “Where is the grass?”  When I walked over I did see the wheat grass that we were selling to pet owners and juicers, but that wasn’t what the owner was referring to. My manager smiled one of those Cheshire cat grins and he pointed to the Asparagus, of course Grass = Asparagus, duly noted.  

                                         Week of January 15^th, 2023                                               

What is Chicory? I am glad you asked. This is a large group of vegetables that graces the tables of many Europeans, but tends to be less popular on this side of the “pond” with Americans. There are as many types of chicory as there are lettuces and they range the gamut from sweet to bitter tasting. Some of the most common names are Belgian Endive, Escarole, Curly Endive, Frissee and Radicchio. However, the most well known chicory plant is the Dandelion! I swear I grow acres of dandelions every year in our pastures. Sometimes I have even considered mowing 2 foot strips and pretending I have fields of Daffodils (Big Smile). Ironically the Dandelion is an important plant as it has a deep tap root that mines nutrients and brings them to the service so that when the plant dies back or gets mowed those nutrients are added to the top of soil structure.  

A few weeks ago, our supplier had sent us a mislabeled case of lettuce. It doesn’t happen often, but Curly Endive showed up serendipitously. Since we normally don’t have chicory’s on the menu, I noticed the interloper straight away. If I could do cartwheels, I would have probably tossed in a back flip, too. I was that excited!  

In fact I was so excited that I grabbed a head, some onions, mushrooms, garlic and broth and proceeded to cook up a quick lunch for the team. Now if you have been a customer for a while, you know that I am a big fan of simple, quick and one pot meals! I firmly believe that nutrition is minutes away and cleanup should be quick and easy too.  

The Curly Endive in some of your boxes this week and can be used as a salad item or as a vegetable like kale, chard or spinach. Use the whole thing in a pot of soup. Because the Curly Endive has an open structure it is easy to clean with a quick rinse, then pat it dry and lay the whole head on its side and cut it into 1-2” strips all the way down to the stem end. For me, I look to saute the onions and garlic and then add broth and everything else. Add the greens at this point, season and cook for 30 minutes on medium. Don’t be afraid to add other vegetables or proteins. Soups are a great way to eat healthy and eat your veggies! 

Here’s to a healthy 2023! 

• Tristan, Joelle and the Box of Good crew 

                                   Week of January 22ⁿ , 2023  

Joelle and I attended a trade show in South Carolina last week. Our oldest son and his wife live only a couple hours from there. I attended the show and talked to other small businesses (one of my happy places) and Joelle explored the trails (her happy place) in and around SC and NC. Micah and Elise picked up Joelle and they hiked all morning and I was able to join them for the afternoon. Then Joelle and I did more hiking and exploring the next day in the Brevard area of NC.  

Transylvania County in NC is definitely the land of waterfalls. We visited Rainbow Falls, Triple Falls, Hooker Falls, Table Top State park, Wild Cat Falls, and Devil’s Kitchen in Caesar Head. Pretty Place outdoor chapel was definitely a highlight and a must see if you are in the area. This was an epic spot to sit and ponder the Creator amidst breathtaking views.  

When traveling it’s fun to try unique and cultural foods. We expected Southern cooking, but Greenville also had quite a broad range of foods we were able to enjoy. I’d say we probably fall into the category of “foodies” and enjoy researching and finding restaurants, farm stands and whole food markets that invest in the local economy and local farms. As fun and delicious as the food was on our getaway, coming home to our kitchen was…well…home.  

After having not been in the kitchen for almost a week, I was eager to get my creative culinary juices flowing. I’d been wanting to try the Curly Green Endive from last week’s box. I went to the shop and I grabbed that, along with some other staples. We cooked not one, but two one pot meals. The first was a Quinoa Sweet Potato casserole and the other a Salmon with Bok Choy and Endive. And while those two were cooking on the stove top we cooked one of our mouthwatering Brown Sugar Pear Pie from Wild Crow Pies. A couple friends joined us and everyone left satisfied and full! There’s nothing like home-cooked tasty, healthy meals! I love being a part of my meals from start to finish.  

It was good to visit our out of state kids and to experience SC and NC, but it’s also good to come home. There’s no place like home or like home cookin’! 

Enjoy this week’s box and cook up something healthy and delicious! 

• Tristan 

                                           Week of January 29^th, 2023        

Years ago, we added three assorted bags to our offerings. Several folks wanted an extra head of lettuce or carrots or some apples and bananas. But way back in the beginning when online shopping was just getting going the shopping platforms were not as easy to navigate. During these early years we created “curated” mini menus, AKA the Assorted Salad, Assorted Veggie, and the Assorted Fruit bags. Our assorted bags are great additions to supplement your Box of Good. Think of these as similar to “mini” Essential boxes that contain 3-5 types of produce.  

Because many of you love more salad or cooking vegetables or some more in season fruit and are happy with a grab bag approach these were the perfect addition. These assorted bags are easy to order and can add a little extra of a certain type of fruit or vegetable quickly and easily but save time not having to order items individually. It is also a great way to get an extra type of produce (salad, cooking veggies or fruit) without having to order another box. The assorted bags pricing is $7 for the Assorted Salad and Assorted Vegetables and $11 for the Assorted Fruit bag. 

Of course, today you can order one of our Assorted Bags, or you can just easily add any item to your delivery by shopping online at Box of Good. We are happy to hand pack your fresh produce however you prefer to order them – so shop away! 🙂 

If you would like to have some extra produce weekly or every other week and are happy with a grab bag assortment of produce, consider adding an assorted bag with your next delivery.  

Thank you for choosing Box of Good for you and your family. 

• Tristan, Joelle, and Alaina and the Box of Good Crew 

                                      Week of January 8^th, 2023                                                 

As we move through citrus season and add a variety of oranges, mandarins, grapefruits, and pummelos to your boxes, we sometimes have people wondering about something: How are seedless oranges, well, seedless? Does it take genetic modification to create seedless oranges? 

This is a fair question! After all, with what we know about biology and the furthering of plant species, a fruit not having seeds seems contrary to everything we’ve been taught. Thankfully I can assure you that seedless oranges are in the category of non-GMO and every orange we send in our Box of Good is organic as well. Let’s take a moment to look at the history and biology of seedless citrus! 

Seedless fruits originate from plants that are, for all intents and purposes, “infertile”. This means that the plants or trees produce fruit but the fruit itself has no way of then creating a new plant to continue the genetic line. Instead of planting seeds to obtain seedless fruit, they are instead grown through a process called grafting, in which a shoot from one tree is attached in a specific manner to another tree and then the shoot grows as if it were originally part of the tree. This is how we get many varieties of fruit (you may have heard of this particularly related to apple trees as this is quite popular in the apple industry). In this case, shoots from a seedless orange tree are grafted, or propagated, onto another tree, and so on to continue growth. 

Historically speaking, a tree that produced seedless oranges was discovered in the 19th century in South America. From there, grafting was used to begin the process of growing what we now know of as navel oranges! Similar processes have been used for other seedless fruits as well, such as grapes and watermelon. Not a product of genetic modification, but rather inventive growers capitalizing on unique mutations in fruit to provide enjoyment and convenience to the consumer! 

I love learning more about the processes of growing the food that we are so quick to enjoy. As a culture, we tend to be so separated from the food we eat and lack knowledge about its origins, the time and care that it took to grow it, and how it makes its way to our plates. The more you know about the food you eat; the more appreciation you have for it and the greater intentionality you will have with ensuring that what you eat is what’s best for you! 

As we continue to strive to offer you the very best of food options, we will also strive to provide resources, tips, and education about that food.  

-Emily and the Box of Good Team 

                             Week of January 26^th, 2023        

This week we are offering a great menu. As I was looking over the menu, I really enjoyed the nice assortment of fruits and vegetables that are featured in your Box of Good that Alaina and Kelsey selected. I was immediately drawn to the shallots and spinach. Of course, it is not the local farm season for spinach, but when I saw spinach on the menu, my mind drifted off to a cool fall morning in late September a decade or more ago. 

  We were on “bolt” alert for this crop. It was a variety that often could grow twice the size of normal spinach if the right conditions were present. I was nervous that we would lose the crop if we waited much longer. The leaves were huge, so big I remember my daughter holding up one leaf and she hid her entire face behind it 🙂. Everything had to line up perfectly for this to happen and that Fall season it all lined up. 

Bolting is a term used to describe when a plant goes to seed. You see this in a lot of vegetating crops like spinach, chard, kale, etc. A change in weather or prolonged heat can cause stress and because the plant’s primary goal is reproduction at some point it will switch from growing to seed production. When a plant thinks it has enough reserves, it can at any moment start bolting and switch to making seeds. My goal is to help the plant stay in growing mode. Yes, you can often eat plants in the bolting stage, but normally they are getting tougher and can have a bitter taste. This stage is usually called Raab, like Broccoli Raab or Kale Raab.  

This week California “non bolting” spinach is on the menu with WA shallots. Here is my take on spinach and shallots. After I had washed the spinach and discarded the stem ends. I would chop it up, add blackberries, raw shallots, thinly sliced, and drizzle with a fruity vinaigrette. Or if I was looking to cook a quick meal, I would sauté the shallots and red pepper with some garlic in some butter or olive oil until they were translucent and then toss in the spinach and wilt it down. Season with salt and pepper or your favorite seasoning and serve ASAP.  
 

Lastly Spinach is great added to soups, smoothies and salads.  

Thank you for choosing Box of Good for you and your family. 

• Tristan, Joelle, and Alaina and the Box of Good Crew  

                             Week of December 4^th 2022                                                          

 These tiny cabbages are in a class all by themselves. Brussels Sprouts are one my favorite vegetables and are a staple all winter long. As a farmer, I’ll just say, growing these beauties are not for the faint of heart. I usually defer to my neighbors who enjoy the challenge. The goal is to transplant in late July so that they can get well established, and then when the cold weather sets in they are mostly mature and will continue growing at a slower rate. And since we live in the floodplain, that isn’t protected by dikes, coupled with the fact that they take months to grow, I have left this veggie to other farmers to supply the Box of Good. The cold weather is what imparts a sweetness to the Brassica family (Cabbages, Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Brussels Sprouts).   

I am including a link to a YouTube video with 3 different ways to prepare Brussels Sprouts by Brian Lagerstrom. He has a French feel to his cooking and an easy-to-follow style.   (youtube.com/watch?v=1LlZJFfJyxk)  

I am going to try blanching them this week. I don’t usually blanch my vegetables, but after watching him do it, I am all in. I am not sure why I haven’t blanched much before, but I can definitely see some advantages. It can help vegetables to not get overcooked (which I think overcooked Brussels Sprouts have given them a bad rap). I also loved his take a on a grated Brussels Sprouts salad and for sure his recipe could easily be adapted for broccoli or red or green cabbage. Having a few techniques to draw upon that can work across many different veggies is important knowledge to have in your cooking repertoire.  

However, blanching full size cabbages is not recommended, but for sure grating them makes a lot of sense (think fancy coleslaw). The other night Joelle and enjoyed an Apple Ginger Cole Slaw at the Blue Heron on Camano Island. I like ginger and apples, so combining those flavors with cabbage provided a light and refreshing appetizer.  

This week I will be blanching up some Brussels Sprouts. How about you?  

Walnuts  

On the home farm, our walnuts are ready to enjoy! We will be putting them into a menu shortly, but for now you can add them to your order. 

  

-Tristan, Joelle and Box of Good Crew