Adventures in the produce box

Truth: People say they want to buy locally grown produce.

Question: Can all of you actually say that you visit your farmer's market on the reg? 

Fact: No.

This includes me. So, before all the hippies get their dreads in a twist, I found an even better solution thanks to my good friend Tiffany who introduced me to a little service called The Produce Box. What I get weekly is a box full of in-season fruits and vegetables picked the morning that and delivered to my door. Don't adjust your cheater readers, I said delivered to my door. No worries, it's still eco-friendly. They have neighborhood coordinators who pick up the boxes and then delivered them.  They also offer items made with the weekly harvest. So this week I will be getting a jar of spicy pickles made with cucumbers harvested just right down the road, and last week I ordered some honey to be included into my box for a few bucks extra. So for 22 dollars a week I get to pick from 3 options and bam just like that no trip to the farmers market needed folks.

What I have had to do is get uber creative with how to use all of my goodies in a week. So this week I am introducing you all to "Sara's bangin' noodle sauce." This is not copyrighted.... yet.

Disclamer: my food photography skills are lack luster at best. I promise to work on this.

Ingredients:

5-6 ripe tomatoes, cubed, skin on

A handful of basil, julienned (I roll them and then cut into strips (unless your pacman jones then I cut them into scrips)

Peppers of your choosing, these came in my box and are spicy, so adjust to your taste, I cut them into rings

While I know you are all marveling over the artistic placing of the above pictured items please know that this is my best work to date, but oddly food advertising community has yet to get in touch with me.

Ok! I throw these items into a large non stick pan and let them simmer for about 20 minutes. I then add 1 chopped red onion, ~tbsp each of raw chopped garlic,  garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste. That's it. I was feeling funky the other night so I threw in some spinach just for funsies. I then put everything into my food processor and pulsed it until it was still chunky but was more or less the consistency of store bought Prego. I served mine with sauteed shrimp, freshly grated parmesan-reggiano and served over quinoa noodles. (Which is a tasty alternative to whole wheat noodles, quinoa being the awesome super food that it is)

So before you go and buy store bought pasta sauce- try making your own. I was pleasantly surprised! Oh and sign up for the produce box, you will LOVE it.