Our First Garden Gate Delivery

Ah, my loyal readers, do I have a treat for you today!

No, I don't.  But I certainly have a treat for me today!

We got our first delivery from Garden Gate, the super-flexible, mostly locally sourced, CSA-ish Ithaca area grocery-delivery company I mentioned the other day.  Let me just tell you, I'm so excited I might pee in my pasture-raised panties.

We ordered the assorted meat box, the fruit & veggie box, a loaf of white bread, and a box of eggs.  We weren't really sure how much food we'd be getting, or if the whole experiment was going to be worth it, so we kept the order simple this first time.  We got two little chicken halves, a package of grass fed beef hot dogs, two packages of mild Italian sausage, and a pack of delicious looking bacon.  I think we may have gotten a little more variety if we had checked that we were ok with receiving goat, buffalo and rabbit.  Next time we will be more adventurous.  Our veggie box came with some cauliflower, leeks, lots of oranges, fingerling potatoes, elephant garlic (just in time as I used the last of our garlic making lunch), an enormous sweet potato, romaine lettuce, spinach, a little fresh oregano and rosemary, and - get this - a whole pineapple.  Neither of us can eat much pineapple due to its incredible acidity, so I think we'll take the opportunity to share with the neighbors.  Marlo, the owner, also tossed in a sample of mango lassi and a handwritten note on our receipt for us.  I think I fell in love by the time I finished the lassi.

I'm already thawing out one of the adorable half chickens and planning on making a roast with veggies tonight - the cauliflower, leeks and potatoes will go great with the carrots we've already got.  Next week I think we'll add a dairy box (which comes with milk, butter, cheese and sometimes yogurt), check the buffalo and rabbit ok box, and add a few more things.

This will be a great addition for us!  It means less money spent on the carshare, less time spent shopping, and more ethical food for us.  Also, it may force us to eat more vegetables.