What happens when you jump ship

It’s not what it looks like. 

I had the opportunity to try one of the other vege box services. GASP. That’s right, I cheated on Streamside. It just kind of.. happened. And it wasn’t the same. What can I say, once you’ve tried the Rolls Royce of vegetables to your door, anything else pales in comparison.  

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I was house sitting for friends. They needed someone to water the animals and walk the plants. I had a second and third shadow by the name of Alexis and Suki Chu for a week. The two Staffy’s required many belly rubs, happy to help. As well as adorable pups, I got my friends meal delivery for the week. Time to see what all the fuss was about! It was quite the event; recipes, ingredients and portioning all taken care of. With a catering job on the horizon, I was happy to let the box decide my fate. 

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When it arrived I started to unpack. And unpack. And unpack some more. Holy moly, how much packaging can one package pack? A lot. With the concept of getting exactly what you need, you end up with a lot of container waste. Herbs portioned in a pocket of plastic. A chiller bag and plastic ice pack with the perishables. Tiny coconut cream UHT cartons. As adorable as some of the portions were, it was a huge amount going straight in the bin. 

Onto the fresh vege. The term is relative. Compared with Streamside, no contest. It made me grateful all over again for the Streamside produce. You can tell it has only just come from the ground. I mean, there’s still soil on some of the roots! There is vibrancy and life in each item. I value knowing the origin of my produce and trusting the people who produce it. I know it has travelled the minimum distance required to arrive at my door. Why would I want a carrot from who-knows-where when there’s one being grown on the outskirts of my hometown? 

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After appraising the goods, I decided to make the curry. A chef with 16 years’ experience threw the recipe out the window in frustration. It was somewhere on instruction 2, prepping for section 3 but getting out pan number 2 to cook addition number 3 to go into side bowl the 4th that I threw everything in the first pan and made it be a stir-fry. I was not going to empty every cupboard of every dish, pan and bowl. If I have ever written a recipe that has led you on this kind of merry chase, I am sorry. I have learned a valuable lesson in what not to do!   

I love the freedom that comes with streamside’s vege boxes. The variety means everyone will see a meal or two when they first open the box. What to do with vege x, y and z? A quick hunt online or on the streamside website will have you ready to go. Then there are the old fav’s at the end of the week. The all-in curry. The roast with all the trimmings. The pan-global one pan stir-fry. Quick and satisfying. The options abound! 

I will never stray again, I promise. But I do think I'll return the favor. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't send a Streamside vege box so they know what they're missing out on.   

 On the menu this week

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