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Recipes - Get Local Organic Produce and Meat Delivered to your Home! Eat Healthier! Order today!

The Next Chapter for Narrative Food

January 21, 2022 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Hi Everyone,

It’s with great sadness, but also with some excitement about the future, that I wanted to let you all know that next week will be the last week of home deliveries for Narrative Food. After that, Narrative Food will pivot our entire focus to our new mail order site which features shelf-stable/pantry foods (starting in February this site will live at narrativefood.com and we will send you more info about this by email).

Since the pandemic, the landscape has changed a lot for us, and after investing in our infrastructure to meet the incredible demand we experienced during the pandemic, we find ourselves back to our pre-pandemic volume but with much increased costs. This means that unfortunately, home delivery of fresh foods just isn’t a sustainable business model for us anymore.

What does this mean for you? You will still be able to order many of your favorite items – from dry farmed walnuts to locally made granola, to regenerative organic persimmon vinegar, to direct trade spices – and it will come to you promptly by mail instead of couriers. You will be able to order gifts for your family or company.

What I’m most excited about is our new recurring pantry box – shipping nationwide – so please tell your friends far and wide – This box will ship monthly and include specially curated items on a different theme each month, with recipes and stories to bring these items to life, and a donation to a related non profit. As always, these items will be sourced from small makers who care about the environment, and tell stories of community. By eliminating the huge demands of fresh foods, fleets of drivers, new boxes needing to be designed every single week, my band-width for curation and story-telling – the areas I really love – will be hugely increased.

Lastly, many of you know that after the Woolsey Fire I moved, ironically, to a converted grocery store in Echo Park. I’m really excited to offer the opportunity for all of you to visit by appointment, and buy in person from our “secret pantry” of curated yummies. After knowing so many of you by name over the years, I would love the opportunity to meet you in person this way!

I do hope you turn to your local farmers markets or growers that offer a CSA program, for your produce needs! I am happy to provide recommendations.

Thank you again for making these past 12 years possible, and trusting my company for something as fundamental as your food. I want to thank all of our home delivery stakeholders – from our customers, to our growers and makers, to our crowd funding investors, to our hard working team – for twelve years of relationships which I hold dear to my heart. 12 years of amazing food on the table which nourished a community and our soil – And since I’m my oldest customer – I’m so grateful for 12 years of lasting memories for my entire household – of meals prepared and enjoyed together as a family – and then there’s the 12 years of learning – learning about food systems, about community, about how to serve you best, and how to lead our amazing team. All of this thanks to our amazing community – thanks to you. We are excited about what the future holds for us and truly hope many of you will continue with us on this adventure. This will help me continue to employ Narrative’s faithful team, each one of whom has earned a huge debt of gratitude for everything they have done to support our mission to get great food to your doorsteps.

See you soon!

Jennifer Field Piette

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag3YowQiJOM

From a Polish Country House Kitchen

December 9, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Co-authored by Anne Applebaum, Jennifer’s childhood playmate, our final Classic Narrative Provisions boxes and Supper Kits of 2021 combine traditional Polish comfort food with a festive twist.

Landing on doorsteps December 18th & 19th

Order deadline 5p, Monday December 13th

Classic Narrative Provisions Boxes have Returned! As in the past our boxes are inspired by the theme of the week — with ingredients, creative suggestions, and 2-4 recipes based on the featured cookbook, culinary creative, or holiday.

Upcoming Featured Recipes:

Klingeman Farm pork sirloin roast with Prunes

Pierogis with Coleslaw

Mushrooms with Bub & Grandma’s Seeded Bread.

Scroll down for details.

We admit: We are unlikely cookbook writers. I’m a columnist and a historian, born in Washington, but now living in London; my friend Danielle is also a journalist, based in Washington. We’ve also picked an unlikely topic.

While writing From a Polish Country House Kitchen, we were often teased: “How many recipes can you get out of boiled potatoes?” Unfortunately for many of us, including even the millions of North Americans with Polish ancestry, the very term “Polish cooking” conjures up a vision of heavy, greasy dishes, the food of exile and poverty.

But as I’ve known for a long time – ever since my husband and I restored an old house in the Polish countryside, twenty years ago – Polish cuisine is long overdue for a reputational revival. Traditional cooking has always been based on fresh vegetables and meat which is organic because it has been raised in someone’s garden – and it has always included aromatic soups, flavorsome game, and crisp chopped salads.

In recent years, creative chefs have also begun to experiment with new versions of traditional dishes, from herring tartare to pierogi as exotic as the dim sum of Hong Kong. Our cookbook is meant to impart the flavors of the traditional cooking and the taste of the more exotic innovations – with, of course, an American twist that we bring ourselves. We hope you come to enjoy these dishes as much as we do.

Anne Applebaum

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Anne Applebaum in the greenhouse of her Polish countryhouse.
bellwether
In her mid-fifties, Cindy Callahan left a career in nursing to begin tending sheep and raising lambs initially used for brush and grass control. Following the suggestion of a friend to milk the sheep turned her on to the potential of running a sheep dairy farm. To this day Cindy assists in the delivery of nearly every lamb on their farm. Using traditional methods studied by visiting cheese makers in Italy, Cindy’s son Liam makes every pound of cheese produced by Bellwether Farms.
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Rancho Llano Seco pigs are a cross of Duroc, Yorkshire and Landrace breeds. Their hogs are fed GMO-free vegetarian grains and legumes, 75% of which are grown on the dry-land fields within a few miles of Rancho Llano Seco’s barns. Pigs are confinement-free, raised in deep-bedded hoop barns with continual access to large open air paddocks with plenty of sunshine and a great view of the California Buttes. The pigs are a “zero-waste” community, as all bedding is composted and applied to Rancho pastures.
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Emma Zimmerman, co-owner of Hayden Flour Mills.


Narrative Provisions Box (Omnivore)


Narrative Provisions Box (Vegetarian)

Featured Recipes:

Klingeman Farm pork sirloin roast with Prunes

Pierogis (omnivore and vegetarian options) with Coleslaw

Mushrooms with Bub & Grandma’s Seeded Bread

Featured Ingredients:

Pasture-Raised Meat  (Omnivore Only)*:

  • Klingeman Farm pork sirloin roast 
  • Stemple Creek ground beef

Dairy, Pantry & More!

  • Alexandre Family Farm eggs
  • orange juice
  • 4th & Heart ghee
  • Hayden Flour Mills all-purpose flour
  • Morning Glory prunes
  • Organic Valley sour cream
  • Bellwether ricotta 

Locally sourced & fair-trade produce:

Marjoram, dill, lettuce, green cabbage, green beans, crimini mushrooms, garlic, white onion, russet potatoes, celery root, red potatoes, carrots, lemon, green apple, tangerines, and kiwi!

*Not included in Vegetarian. 

Check your pantry for vegetable oil, salt, pepper, yogurt. 

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Sunday Supper Kit

Pork with Prunes, featuring:

  • Rancho Llano Seco pork
  • Morning Glory prunes
  • and locally sourced produce (garlic, marjoram, celery root, dill, and greenbeans)

Check your pantry for sea salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil. 


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Vegetarian Supper

Vegetarian Pierogis with Coleslaw, featuring:

  • Hayden Flour Mills all-purpose flour
  • 4th & Heart ghee
  • Organic Valley sour cream
  • Bellwether ricotta
  • and locally sourced produce (red potatoes, crimini mushrooms, white onion, carrots, green cabbage, green apple, and lemon)

Check your pantry for salt,  pepper and extra virgin olive oil. 

For nights tight on time…

PXL_20211209_223412093


Weeknight Supper Kit

Twice-Cooked Mushrooms with Bub & Grandma’s Seeded Bread, featuring:

  • Bub & Grandma’s seeded bread
  • Organic Valley sour cream
  • Sierra Nevada butter
  • dried mushrooms
  • and locally sourced produce (mushrooms, onion, and dill)

Check your pantry for oil, salt, and pepper. 

30 Minutes or Less

December 3, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

In between festive holiday dinners we like to rely on easy quick recipes. Scroll down (or click HERE) for a few of our favorites.

Landing on doorsteps December 11th & 12th

Order deadline 5p, Monday December 6th

Classic Narrative Provisions Boxes have Returned! As in the past our boxes are inspired by the theme of the week — with ingredients, creative suggestions, and 2-4 recipes based on the featured cookbook, culinary creative, or holiday.

Upcoming Featured Recipes:

Sausage & Peppers with Cabbage

Roasted Cauliflower & Cheese Mini Frittatas

Scroll down for details.

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Keller Crafted is an impact-driven meat company that wants to change what it means to eat good food. They believe in the idea of an interconnected food system, where you are connected to the farmers that supply your food. (Photo: Keller Crafted founder Mark Keller with several of the farms he sources from.)
narrative fresh squeezed oj
image (4)
Cynthia Douglas and Jutta Thoerner have owned and operated Manzanita Manor since 1992.


Narrative Provisions Box (Omnivore)


Narrative Provisions Box (Vegetarian)

Featured Recipes:

Sausage & Peppers with Cabbage

Roasted Cauliflower & Cheese Mini Frittatas

Featured Ingredients:

Pasture-Raised Meat  (Omnivore Only)*:

  • Electic City Butcher beef stew meat
  • Keller Crafted Sweet Italian sausages
  • Pasturebird boneless skinless chicken breast 

Dairy, Pantry & More!

  • Alexandre Family Farm eggs
  • orange juice
  • Sierra Nevada Monterrey Jack wedges
  • Bakers Kneaded milk buns
  • Manzanita Manor dry-farmed heirloom walnuts
  • Jacobsen’s flake salt
  • California Coast Naturals extra-virgin olive oil

Locally sourced & fair-trade produce:

Persimmons, apples, tangerines, lemon, peppers, kohlrabi, russet potato, yellow onion, garlic, cauliflower, green cabbage, bell pepper, chard, parsley and lettuce!

*Not included in Vegetarian. 

Check your pantry for paprika, red wine vinegar, milk, black pepper, and seeds (fennel, cumin, and mustard – optional). 

bakers kneaded milk bun
Bakers Kneaded milk buns
prairiebreezelosquare


Sunday Supper Kit

Sausage & Peppers with Cabbage, featuring:

  • Keller Crafted Sweet Italian sausages
  • Bakers Kneaded milk buns
  • Milton Creamery Prairie Breeze cheese
  • and locally sourced produce (yellow onion, bell pepper, garlic, and cabbage)

Check your pantry for sea salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil. 


Screen-shot-2015-04-24-at-10.28.20-PM

Alexandre Family Farms
Alexandre Family Farms hens


Vegetarian Supper

Tomato Soup with Bub & Grandma’s bread and more, featuring:

  • Bub & Grandma’s sourdough bread
  • Fiscalini cheddar
  • HLTHpunk harissa
  • labneh
  • butter
  • and locally sourced produce (onion, carrots, parsnip, garlic, thyme, tomatoes, lettuce, granny smith apple)

Check your pantry for salt,  pepper and extra virgin olive oil. 

For nights tight on time…

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MVIMG_20181231_093354


Weeknight Supper Kit

Fresh Pasta Night, featuring:

  • Mission Rose torchiette pasta & black pepper butter
  • and locally sourced produce (mushrooms, chard, thyme, garlic, lemon, and lettuce)

Check your pantry for oil, salt, and pepper. 

Cozy Comfort Meals

November 23, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

During the weeks between festive holiday dinners our families like to enjoy the simple pleasures of easy to make comfort food. Scroll down (or click HERE) for a few of our favorites.

Landing on doorsteps December 4th & 5th

Order deadline 5p, Monday November 29th

Classic Narrative Provisions Boxes have Returned! As in the past our boxes are inspired by the theme of the week — with ingredients, creative suggestions, and 2-4 recipes based on the featured cookbook, culinary creative, or holiday.

Upcoming Featured Recipes:

(Turkey) Shepherd’s Pie

Tomato Soup with Bub & Grandma’s Sourdough + cheese

Scroll down for details.

Rob+&+Chris+in+Fields
Bianco DiNapoli Tomatoes are organically-grown and harvested in Northern California. Long summer days and fertile soil produce these very unique & delicious tomatoes. Within hours of harvest, theirr plum- shaped tomatoes are washed, steam-peeled and hand selected at the cannery. Each can of the original whole-peeled is packed with a touch of sea salt, organic basil then topped in its own juices. Photo: Chris Bianco and Rob DiNapoli in the field.
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Ferndale pasture-raised turkeys.

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Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

Narrative Provisions Box (Omnivore)


Narrative Provisions Box (Vegetarian)

Featured Recipes:

(Turkey) Shepherd’s Pie

Tomato Soup with Bub & Grandma’s Sourdough + Cheese

Featured Ingredients:

Pasture Raised Meat  (Omnivore Only)*:

  • Electic City Butcher beef kebabs
  • Llano Seco pork chops
  • Ferndale ground turkey

Dairy, Pantry & More!

  • Alexandre Family Farm eggs
  • orange juice
  • Bub & Grandma’s sourdough bread
  • HLTHpunk harissa
  • parmesan
  • Braga almonds
  • Bianco DiNapoli tomato sauce
  • Fiscalini cheddar
  • butter
  • labneh
  • Belfiore smoked mozzarella

Locally sourced & fair-trade produce:

Thyme, lettuce, kale, bell pepper, tomatoes, parsnips, garlic, yellow onion, russet potatoes, carrots, leeks, scallion, lemon, granny smith apple, pomegranate, and bananas!

*Not included in Vegetarian. 

Check your pantry for salt & pepper, and extra-virgin olive oil.

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Chris Bianco with a beautiful Bianco DiNapoli tomato.
garlic-closeup
Garlic in Jennifer’s kitchen.


Sunday Supper Kit

Turkey Shepherds Pie, featuring:

  • Ferndale ground turkey
  • Smart Simple Gourmet chicken stock
  • Bianco Di Napoli tomato sauce
  • Belfiore smoked mozzarella
  • and locally sourced produce (garlic, carrots, yellow onion, bell pepper, thyme, leeks, potatoes, scallion, lettuce)

Check your pantry for sea salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil. 


SWANABOX2_3000x
HLTHpunk harissa , included in our upcoming Vegetarian Supper kit, is also found in our Narrative Provisions SWANA gift box. Each gift includes a $15 donation to Beit el Baraka. Click image for details.

bub & grandma's house (1)
Bub & Grandma’s sourdough


Vegetarian Supper

Tomato Soup with Bub & Grandma’s bread and more, featuring:

  • Bub & Grandma’s sourdough bread
  • Fiscalini cheddar
  • HLTHpunk harissa
  • labneh
  • butter
  • and locally sourced produce (onion, carrots, parsnip, garlic, thyme, tomatoes, lettuce, granny smith apple)

Check your pantry for salt,  pepper and extra virgin olive oil. 

For nights tight on time…

mesa salsa copy


Weeknight Supper Kit

Cauliflower Tacos, featuring:

  • Mesa salsa
  • Late July tortilla chips
  • corn tortillas
  • and locally sourced produce (cauliflower, onion, avocado, jalepeno, lime, garlic, cilantro)

Check your pantry for oil, salt, and pepper. 

Latkes and Herbed Citrus Salad

November 21, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Latkes and Herbed Citrus Salad

Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

From your Narrative Food box:

Latkes

2 lb russet potatoes, washed

1 ea yellow onion

2 ea egg yolks

3 T matzo meal

Sour cream

Apple sauce

Citrus Salad

2 ea navel oranges, supremes

1 ea grapefruit, supremes

2 ea tangerines, zested and ¼ c of juice, rest supremes

1 head lettuce, cleaned

1 ea shallot – minced

1 bunch green onion, thinly sliced

Mint, leaves, chopped

1 T lemon juice

From your pantry:

Latkes

1 T kosher salt

½ T black pepper, ground

½ c canola or neutral frying oil (avoid olive oil)

Citrus Salad

1 T honey

½ t kosher salt

¼ t chili powder

3 T tahini

Water, as needed


Instructions

Prepare the latkes: wash the potatoes well and grate through the largest holes in a cheese grater. Do not peel. Grate 1 onion and mix together in a large bowl with 1 t of kosher salt. Lest rest for 5 minutes, then squeeze out as much water as you can from the grated potatoes and onion. The dryer your potato mix, the crispier your latkes will be. Mix in the egg yolks, matzo meal, 1 T more of Kosher salt, ½ T black pepper.

Let the potato mix rest again for 15 minutes. If you have a strainer or cheesecloth, you can also use this to strain your potatoes. Keep the water that is strained and add the potato starch back to the potatoes and discard the water.

While you’re waiting for the potatoes to drain, heat up a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add ½ c canola oil or other neutral frying oil about a quarter of the way full for a shallow fry. Once the oil is hot, take a small fork full of the potato mixture and test the batch. Taste and season the potatoes accordingly, more salt or matzo meal if needed. Russet potatoes tend to need more salt than you think.

When you’re ready to fry the latkes, heat the oil on medium high heat for a couple minutes until hot. Carefully form patties about 3” in diameter and ¾” thick by scooping some of mixture onto the fish spatula and flatten with your fingers before adding to the pan.

Give your latkes space in the pan, so that they don’t form a giant pancake, and fry them, turning them every minute to balance out hot spots in the pan, until they develop a golden crust on the bottom. Flipping is best done with a slotted spatula and a fork for balance. Your latkes are ready when both sides are a deep brown and the crust is thick. But keep in mind that they will darken as they cool, and there is such a thing as too crispy (i.e., burnt).

Season the latkes with a little more salt and drain on a paper towel as you make more batches (you can even use 2 pans if you’re feeling confident and want to cook them faster). You can keep the latkes hot by heating the oven to 200°F and keeping them on a baking sheet with a wire rack.

When all batches have been cooked, serve with sour cream and apple sauce on the side with the citrus salad!

For the citrus salad: Make the dressing: Place the shallot, tangerine zest and juice, lemon juice, honey, salt, and chili powder in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes to give shallots time to marinate. Whisk in the tahini until mixture is emulsified. If dressing is too thick, add a drizzle of water to thin.

Make the salad: To prep the citrus supremes, trim the top and bottom from each piece of fruit. Then, with downward strokes, cut remaining peel off in strips, removing peel and white pith and revealing the citrus flesh. Cut off any remaining pith. Slice citrus crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Sprinkle the chopped mint over both sides of the citrus rounds.

Place the greens in a medium bowl. Drizzle in a few tablespoons dressing and toss. Arrange the greens on a platter or plate and top with the citrus rounds. Finish with another drizzle of tahini dressing and finish with a few twists of freshly ground pepper.

 


Keywords: applesauce hanukkah latkes citrus recipes

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us @narrativefood— we can't wait to see what you've made!

Festive Recipes

November 21, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

After enjoying a delicious Thanksgiving meal with your household, get ready for tasty and festive recipes for Hanukkah! Scroll down (or click HERE) for the recipes featured in our upcoming Classic Narrative Provisions boxes and Supper Kits.

Landing on doorsteps November 27th & 28th

Order deadline 5p, Monday November 22nd

Classic Narrative Provisions Boxes have Returned! As in the past our boxes are inspired by the theme of the week — with ingredients, creative suggestions, and 2-4 recipes based on the featured cookbook, culinary creative, or holiday.

Featured Recipes:

Date Glazed Chicken with Tangerine Studded Greens and Jeweled Rice (Morasa Polo)

Latkes and Herbed Citrus Salad

Woon Kitchen Dumplings with Sauteed Garlic Kale

Scroll down for details.

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narrative fresh squeezed oj
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Narrative Provisions Box (Omnivore)


Narrative Provisions Box (Vegetarian)

Featured Recipes:

Date Glazed Chicken with Tangerine Studded Greens and Jeweled Rice 

Latkes and Herbed Citrus Salad

Featured Ingredients:

Pasture Raised Meat  (Omnivore Only)*:

  • Pasturebird chicken leg quarters
  • Rancho Llano Seco prok stew meat
  • Electric City Butcher meatballs

Dairy, Pantry & More!

  • Alexandre Family Farm eggs
  • orange juice
  • matzoh meal
  • almonds
  • dried persimmons
  • basmati rice
  • Just date syrup
  • apple sauce
  • sour cream

Locally sourced & fair-trade produce:

Parsley, mint, kale, lettuce, winter squash, green beans, parsnips, garlic, shallots, russet potatoes, carrots, green onion, onion,  pomegranates, lemon, tangerines, oranges, and grapefruit!

*Not included in Vegetarian. 

Check your pantry for salt & pepper, and extra-virgin olive oil.

IMG_20200712_081041

Sunday Supper Kit

Date Glazed Chicken with Tangerine Studded Greens and Jeweled Rice, featuring:

  • Pasturebird chicken leg quarters
  • Just date syrup
  • basmati rice
  • almonds
  • dried persimmons
  • and locally sourced produce (kale, tangerines, parsley, shallots, carrots, pomegranate, and green onion)

Check your pantry for sea salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil. 

Alexandre Family Farms
IMG_20210131_145752

Vegetarian Supper

Latkes with Applesauce and Sour Cream & Herbed Citrus Salad, featuring:

  • Alexandre Family Farms eggs
  • matzoh meal
  • sour cream
  • applesauce
  • and locally sourced produce (russet potatoes, onion, scallions, oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, lettuce, shallot, mint, and lemon)

Check your pantry for salt,  pepper and extra virgin olive oil. 

For nights tight on time…

2-Keegan and Julie Fong


Weeknight Supper Kit

Wook Kitchen Night, featuring:

  • Woon Lucky Dumplings & Cucumber Salad
  • jasmine rice
  • kale
  • garlic

Check your pantry for oil, salt, and pepper. 

Woon Dumplings with Rice and Sauteed Garlic Sesame Kale

November 21, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Latkes and Herbed Citrus Salad

Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

From your Narrative Food box:

Latkes

2 lb russet potatoes, washed

1 ea yellow onion

2 ea egg yolks

3 T matzo meal

Sour cream

Apple sauce

Citrus Salad

2 ea navel oranges, supremes

1 ea grapefruit, supremes

2 ea tangerines, zested and ¼ c of juice, rest supremes

1 head lettuce, cleaned

1 ea shallot – minced

1 bunch green onion, thinly sliced

Mint, leaves, chopped

1 T lemon juice

From your pantry:

Latkes

1 T kosher salt

½ T black pepper, ground

½ c canola or neutral frying oil (avoid olive oil)

Citrus Salad

1 T honey

½ t kosher salt

¼ t chili powder

3 T tahini

Water, as needed


Instructions

Prepare the latkes: wash the potatoes well and grate through the largest holes in a cheese grater. Do not peel. Grate 1 onion and mix together in a large bowl with 1 t of kosher salt. Lest rest for 5 minutes, then squeeze out as much water as you can from the grated potatoes and onion. The dryer your potato mix, the crispier your latkes will be. Mix in the egg yolks, matzo meal, 1 T more of Kosher salt, ½ T black pepper.

Let the potato mix rest again for 15 minutes. If you have a strainer or cheesecloth, you can also use this to strain your potatoes. Keep the water that is strained and add the potato starch back to the potatoes and discard the water.

While you’re waiting for the potatoes to drain, heat up a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add ½ c canola oil or other neutral frying oil about a quarter of the way full for a shallow fry. Once the oil is hot, take a small fork full of the potato mixture and test the batch. Taste and season the potatoes accordingly, more salt or matzo meal if needed. Russet potatoes tend to need more salt than you think.

When you’re ready to fry the latkes, heat the oil on medium high heat for a couple minutes until hot. Carefully form patties about 3” in diameter and ¾” thick by scooping some of mixture onto the fish spatula and flatten with your fingers before adding to the pan.

Give your latkes space in the pan, so that they don’t form a giant pancake, and fry them, turning them every minute to balance out hot spots in the pan, until they develop a golden crust on the bottom. Flipping is best done with a slotted spatula and a fork for balance. Your latkes are ready when both sides are a deep brown and the crust is thick. But keep in mind that they will darken as they cool, and there is such a thing as too crispy (i.e., burnt).

Season the latkes with a little more salt and drain on a paper towel as you make more batches (you can even use 2 pans if you’re feeling confident and want to cook them faster). You can keep the latkes hot by heating the oven to 200°F and keeping them on a baking sheet with a wire rack.

When all batches have been cooked, serve with sour cream and apple sauce on the side with the citrus salad!

For the citrus salad: Make the dressing: Place the shallot, tangerine zest and juice, lemon juice, honey, salt, and chili powder in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes to give shallots time to marinate. Whisk in the tahini until mixture is emulsified. If dressing is too thick, add a drizzle of water to thin.

Make the salad: To prep the citrus supremes, trim the top and bottom from each piece of fruit. Then, with downward strokes, cut remaining peel off in strips, removing peel and white pith and revealing the citrus flesh. Cut off any remaining pith. Slice citrus crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Sprinkle the chopped mint over both sides of the citrus rounds.

Place the greens in a medium bowl. Drizzle in a few tablespoons dressing and toss. Arrange the greens on a platter or plate and top with the citrus rounds. Finish with another drizzle of tahini dressing and finish with a few twists of freshly ground pepper.

 


Keywords: applesauce hanukkah latkes citrus recipes

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us @narrativefood— we can't wait to see what you've made!

Gratitude & Giving 2021

November 12, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

It’s time to enjoy one of the most delicious meals of the year with your family and households! Scroll down (or click HERE) for our Thanksgiving Favorites.

Landing on doorsteps November 20th & 21st

Order deadline 5p, Monday November 15th



Order Your Ferndale Pasture-Raised Turkey

We are proud to partner with Electric City Butcher and Ferndale for another delicious Thanksgiving. Ferndale’s compassionate approach to flock management and regenerative farming is practiced in a dynamic dance between land, steward, farmer, and mother nature rotating the turkeys with the seasons from green pasture grown to a free-range turkey house. Read more about their practices in the description HERE. 



Bakers Kneaded Pie and Breads

We are excited for all of the tasty treats our friends at Bakers Kneaded are making to sweeten and delight our Thanksgiving tables!

Bourbon Pecan Pie
Honeycrisp & Green Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Buttermilk Rolls and more!



Shop Thanksgiving Favorites

We are looking forward to being in the kitchen with our family in the kitchen prepping veggies and sharing stories. Here are a few of our favorites that we planning on cooking up: 

Brussels Sprouts, Squash (Butternut & Acorn), Herbs (Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme), Green Beans, Cranberries, Mushrooms, and more!

Classic Narrative Provisions Boxes have Returned! As in the past our boxes are inspired by the theme of the week — with ingredients, creative suggestions, and 2-4 recipes based on the featured cookbook, culinary creative, or holiday.

Our upcoming boxes and kits include cozy recipes you’ll want to enjoy in the busy days leading up to Thanksgiving.

Featured Recipes:

Braised Short Rib with Polenta and Kale & Mushrooms

Wild Rice with Spinach & Pear Salad

Scroll down for details.

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Alexandre Family Farms
narrative fresh squeezed oj

Narrative Provisions Box (Omnivore)


Narrative Provisions Box (Vegetarian)

Featured Recipes:

Braised Short Rib with Polenta and Kale & Mushrooms 

Wild Rice with Spinach & Pear Salad

Featured Ingredients:

Pasture Raised Meat  (Omnivore Only)*:

  • Pasturebird bone-in & skin-on drumsticks
  • Electric City Butcher short ribs
  • Keller Crafted breakfast sausage

Dairy, Pantry & More!

  • Alexandre Family Farm eggs
  • orange juice
  • ricotta
  • parmesan
  • poenta
  • dried cranberries or raisins
  • wild rice
  • pecans

Locally sourced & fair-trade produce:

Rosemary, parsley, kale, lettuce, broccoli, mushrooms, garlic, yellow onion, shallots, ginger, lemon, pear, apple, persimmon, and butternut squash!

*Not included in Vegetarian. 

Check your pantry for salt & pepper, and extra-virgin olive oil.

Purple garlic

Sunday Supper Kit

Braised Short Rib with Polenta and Kale & Mushrooms, featuring:

  • Electric City Butcher short ribs
  • Brametti polenta
  • ricotta
  • parmesan
  • and locally sourced produce (garlic, rosemary, bay leaf, kale, crimini mushrooms)

Check your pantry for sea salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil. 

00000IMG_00000_BURST20181231161211540_COVER (1)

Vegetarian Supper

Wild Rice Pilaf with Spinach Pear Salad, featuring:

  • wild rice
  • dried cranberries or raisins
  • pecans
  • and locally sourced produce (spinach, pear, shallot, butternut squash, yellow onion, garlic, parsley, lemon, and ginger)

Check your pantry for salt,  pepper and extra virgin olive oil. 

For nights tight on time…

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Weeknight Supper Kit

Bridgetown Roti Night, featuring:

  • Bridgetown Roti patties (Curried Yam and Mango with Coconut Chutney)
  • red cabbage
  • lime
  • carrots

Check your pantry for oil, salt, and pepper. 

Wild Rice Pilaf with Spinach and Pear Salad

November 12, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes

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Latkes and Herbed Citrus Salad

Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

From your Narrative Food box:

Latkes

2 lb russet potatoes, washed

1 ea yellow onion

2 ea egg yolks

3 T matzo meal

Sour cream

Apple sauce

Citrus Salad

2 ea navel oranges, supremes

1 ea grapefruit, supremes

2 ea tangerines, zested and ¼ c of juice, rest supremes

1 head lettuce, cleaned

1 ea shallot – minced

1 bunch green onion, thinly sliced

Mint, leaves, chopped

1 T lemon juice

From your pantry:

Latkes

1 T kosher salt

½ T black pepper, ground

½ c canola or neutral frying oil (avoid olive oil)

Citrus Salad

1 T honey

½ t kosher salt

¼ t chili powder

3 T tahini

Water, as needed


Instructions

Prepare the latkes: wash the potatoes well and grate through the largest holes in a cheese grater. Do not peel. Grate 1 onion and mix together in a large bowl with 1 t of kosher salt. Lest rest for 5 minutes, then squeeze out as much water as you can from the grated potatoes and onion. The dryer your potato mix, the crispier your latkes will be. Mix in the egg yolks, matzo meal, 1 T more of Kosher salt, ½ T black pepper.

Let the potato mix rest again for 15 minutes. If you have a strainer or cheesecloth, you can also use this to strain your potatoes. Keep the water that is strained and add the potato starch back to the potatoes and discard the water.

While you’re waiting for the potatoes to drain, heat up a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add ½ c canola oil or other neutral frying oil about a quarter of the way full for a shallow fry. Once the oil is hot, take a small fork full of the potato mixture and test the batch. Taste and season the potatoes accordingly, more salt or matzo meal if needed. Russet potatoes tend to need more salt than you think.

When you’re ready to fry the latkes, heat the oil on medium high heat for a couple minutes until hot. Carefully form patties about 3” in diameter and ¾” thick by scooping some of mixture onto the fish spatula and flatten with your fingers before adding to the pan.

Give your latkes space in the pan, so that they don’t form a giant pancake, and fry them, turning them every minute to balance out hot spots in the pan, until they develop a golden crust on the bottom. Flipping is best done with a slotted spatula and a fork for balance. Your latkes are ready when both sides are a deep brown and the crust is thick. But keep in mind that they will darken as they cool, and there is such a thing as too crispy (i.e., burnt).

Season the latkes with a little more salt and drain on a paper towel as you make more batches (you can even use 2 pans if you’re feeling confident and want to cook them faster). You can keep the latkes hot by heating the oven to 200°F and keeping them on a baking sheet with a wire rack.

When all batches have been cooked, serve with sour cream and apple sauce on the side with the citrus salad!

For the citrus salad: Make the dressing: Place the shallot, tangerine zest and juice, lemon juice, honey, salt, and chili powder in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes to give shallots time to marinate. Whisk in the tahini until mixture is emulsified. If dressing is too thick, add a drizzle of water to thin.

Make the salad: To prep the citrus supremes, trim the top and bottom from each piece of fruit. Then, with downward strokes, cut remaining peel off in strips, removing peel and white pith and revealing the citrus flesh. Cut off any remaining pith. Slice citrus crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Sprinkle the chopped mint over both sides of the citrus rounds.

Place the greens in a medium bowl. Drizzle in a few tablespoons dressing and toss. Arrange the greens on a platter or plate and top with the citrus rounds. Finish with another drizzle of tahini dressing and finish with a few twists of freshly ground pepper.

 


Keywords: applesauce hanukkah latkes citrus recipes

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us @narrativefood— we can't wait to see what you've made!

Braised Short Ribs with Polenta and Sauteed Kale & Mushrooms

November 12, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes

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Latkes and Herbed Citrus Salad

Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

From your Narrative Food box:

Latkes

2 lb russet potatoes, washed

1 ea yellow onion

2 ea egg yolks

3 T matzo meal

Sour cream

Apple sauce

Citrus Salad

2 ea navel oranges, supremes

1 ea grapefruit, supremes

2 ea tangerines, zested and ¼ c of juice, rest supremes

1 head lettuce, cleaned

1 ea shallot – minced

1 bunch green onion, thinly sliced

Mint, leaves, chopped

1 T lemon juice

From your pantry:

Latkes

1 T kosher salt

½ T black pepper, ground

½ c canola or neutral frying oil (avoid olive oil)

Citrus Salad

1 T honey

½ t kosher salt

¼ t chili powder

3 T tahini

Water, as needed


Instructions

Prepare the latkes: wash the potatoes well and grate through the largest holes in a cheese grater. Do not peel. Grate 1 onion and mix together in a large bowl with 1 t of kosher salt. Lest rest for 5 minutes, then squeeze out as much water as you can from the grated potatoes and onion. The dryer your potato mix, the crispier your latkes will be. Mix in the egg yolks, matzo meal, 1 T more of Kosher salt, ½ T black pepper.

Let the potato mix rest again for 15 minutes. If you have a strainer or cheesecloth, you can also use this to strain your potatoes. Keep the water that is strained and add the potato starch back to the potatoes and discard the water.

While you’re waiting for the potatoes to drain, heat up a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add ½ c canola oil or other neutral frying oil about a quarter of the way full for a shallow fry. Once the oil is hot, take a small fork full of the potato mixture and test the batch. Taste and season the potatoes accordingly, more salt or matzo meal if needed. Russet potatoes tend to need more salt than you think.

When you’re ready to fry the latkes, heat the oil on medium high heat for a couple minutes until hot. Carefully form patties about 3” in diameter and ¾” thick by scooping some of mixture onto the fish spatula and flatten with your fingers before adding to the pan.

Give your latkes space in the pan, so that they don’t form a giant pancake, and fry them, turning them every minute to balance out hot spots in the pan, until they develop a golden crust on the bottom. Flipping is best done with a slotted spatula and a fork for balance. Your latkes are ready when both sides are a deep brown and the crust is thick. But keep in mind that they will darken as they cool, and there is such a thing as too crispy (i.e., burnt).

Season the latkes with a little more salt and drain on a paper towel as you make more batches (you can even use 2 pans if you’re feeling confident and want to cook them faster). You can keep the latkes hot by heating the oven to 200°F and keeping them on a baking sheet with a wire rack.

When all batches have been cooked, serve with sour cream and apple sauce on the side with the citrus salad!

For the citrus salad: Make the dressing: Place the shallot, tangerine zest and juice, lemon juice, honey, salt, and chili powder in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes to give shallots time to marinate. Whisk in the tahini until mixture is emulsified. If dressing is too thick, add a drizzle of water to thin.

Make the salad: To prep the citrus supremes, trim the top and bottom from each piece of fruit. Then, with downward strokes, cut remaining peel off in strips, removing peel and white pith and revealing the citrus flesh. Cut off any remaining pith. Slice citrus crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Sprinkle the chopped mint over both sides of the citrus rounds.

Place the greens in a medium bowl. Drizzle in a few tablespoons dressing and toss. Arrange the greens on a platter or plate and top with the citrus rounds. Finish with another drizzle of tahini dressing and finish with a few twists of freshly ground pepper.

 


Keywords: applesauce hanukkah latkes citrus recipes

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us @narrativefood— we can't wait to see what you've made!

In the kitchen with Nanor Abkarian

November 4, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Our Classic Narrative Provisions Boxes have Returned! As in the past our boxes are inspired by the theme of the week — with ingredients, creative suggestions, and 2-4 recipes based on the featured cookbook, culinary creative, or holiday.

Our upcoming boxes and kits share recipes from Nanor Abkarian’s kitchen and stories from across the Armenian diaspora.

Featured Recipes:

Gaghampi Patuyt (Cabbage Rolls with Ground Beef)

Keshkeg Ghabakh (Winter Squash Stew from Marash) with Pearl Barley

Landing on doorsteps November 6th & 7th

Order deadline 5p, Monday November 8th

“When I think of Armenian food, I think of apricots, pomegranates, seeds handpicked from giant sunflowers, golden honeycombs, and hearty stews…Armenian food is Lebanese food, Syrian food, Iranian, Turkish, Ethiopian, French, Argentinian, et al. When I think of Armenian food, I think of my grandmother’s hands kneading dough, my uncles barbecuing kebab and offering steaming bites folded into pita; I think of my aunts—their individual specialties and their collective magic: the ability to transform any space into a world of abundance. Armenian food is family. It is music and laughter and dancing in celebration of the simple fact that we are here, and we are together.” – Nanor

Scroll down for recipes, details and Nanor’s piece “There was and there wasn’t”!

scan 7
“The ingredients in this box can be used in numerous ways, and these recipes reflect the path of our migration through the past four generations. Currently, some of my family members are here in Los Angeles, some in Fresno, in Lebanon, Syria, and Uruguay—and it is when we are feasting together that we are our most joyful selves. Consider this box a warm, insistent welcome to our table.” – Nanor
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Narrative Provisions Box (Omnivore)


Narrative Provisions Box (Vegetarian)

Featured Recipes:

Gaghampi Patuyt (Cabbage Rolls with Ground Beef)*

and

Keshkeg Ghabakh (Winter Squash Stew from Marash) with Pearl Barley

Featured Ingredients:

Pasture Raised Meat  (Omnivore Only):

  • Pasturebird boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • Electric City Butcher beef kebab
  • Electric City Butcher ground beef

Dairy, Pantry & More!

  • Alexandre Family Farm eggs
  • orange juice
  • labneh
  • Seed & Mill tahini
  • HLTH punk tomato paste
  • Voila! spice blend
  • Sierra Nevada butter
  • Eden Foods chickpeas
  • basmati rice
  • pearl barley
  • pita bread

Locally sourced & fair-trade produce:

Kale, scallions, avocado, potatoes, lettuce, tangerines, apples, pomegranate, parsley, garlic, lemon, yellow onion, green cabbage, tomato, eggplant, and butternut squash!

*Not included in Vegetarian. 

Check your pantry for dried mint, salt & pepper, and extra-virgin olive oil.

(Recipes below.) 

arsen & lydia
“I have a vivid memory of my great-grandmother Lydia wrapping cabbage to make Gaghampi Patuyt: its preparation is often a shared experience between friends and neighbors.” – Nanor (Photo of Arsen & Lydia)

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Bub & Grandma’s sesame loaf


Sunday Supper Kit

Gaghampi Patuyt (Cabbage Rolls with Ground Beef), featuring:

  • Electric City Butcher ground beef
  • Voila! spice blend
  • Bub & Grandma’s sesame loaf
  • HLTH punk tomato paste
  • labneh
  • rice
  • Sierra Nevada butter
  • and locally sourced produce (green cabbage, tomato, yellow onion, parsley, garlic, and lemon)

Check your pantry for sea salt, pepper, dried mint, and extra virgin olive oil. (Recipe below.) 

Picture 035
“My grandmother Mary made Keshkeg Ghabakh on laundry days in the Bourj Hammoud neighborhood of Beirut—it is traditionally made with pumpkin.” – Nanor
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Vegetarian Supper

Keshkeg Ghabakh (Winter Squash Stew from Marash) with Pearl Barley & Mutabal (Eggplant Dip) featuring:

  • Seed & Mill tahini
  • Sierra Nevada butter
  • HLTH punk tomato paste
  • Eden Foods chickpeas
  • pearl barley
  • pita bread
  • and locally sourced produce (butternut squash, garlic, lemon, pomegranate, eggplant, and parsley)

Check your pantry for salt, dried mint, pepper paste pepper and extra virgin olive oil. (Recipe below.) 

For nights tight on time…

mission rose roasted red pepper


Weeknight Supper Kit

Pasta Night, featuring:

  • Mission Rose pappardelle 
  • Mission Rose red pepper cream sauce
  • parmesean
  • lettuce
  • parsley
  • lemon

Check your pantry for oil, salt, and pepper. 

Keshkeg Ghabakh: Winter Squash Stew from Marash

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash, cubed 

1/2 cup dried chickpeas or 1 cup cooked chickpeas

6 garlic cloves, crushed 

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp pepper paste*  (if not available in your pantry, add more tomato paste)

1 tsp dried mint

1 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp salt water

Instructions

1-Place ½ cup of dry chickpeas in a bowl with 2 cups of water and soak overnight. Rinse the chickpeas and pour them into a medium pot with 1 ½ cups of fresh water. Bring to a boil then let simmer for at least 1 hour or until the chickpeas are soft. 

2-Boil 5 cups of water. In a separate pot, sauté the garlic and mint with olive oil. Add the boiled water, tomato paste, pepper paste, salt and mix. Add the butternut squash and chickpeas. Bring to boil then reduce to medium heat for about 45 minutes. 

3-Mash some of the butternut squash with a fork or handheld mixer. Remove from heat and add lemon juice.

4- Serve with Pearl Barley

GAGHAMPI PATUYT: CABBAGE ROLLS WITH GROUND BEEF

Ingredients

1 head of green cabbage, washed

1 cup medium-grain rice, rinsed*

½ lb ground beef  

1 large tomato, finely chopped

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

½ bunch parsley, finely chopped

11 garlic cloves, crushed

½ cup fresh lemon juice

1 ½ tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp Allspice

1 tsp black pepper

¼ tsp Aleppo pepper

1 tbsp dried mint

yogurt (optional)

salt

water

Instructions

Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Cut the stem of the cabbage and peel the leaves. Add the leaves in boiling water and steam for 1-2 minutes, then place on a tray to drain excess water. 

To prepare the filling, mix the ground beef with tomato, onion, parsley, 6 crushed garlic cloves, ¼ cup lemon juice, tomato paste, olive oil, Allspice, black pepper, Aleppo pepper, and ½ tsp salt. 

To wrap the cabbage leaves, first trim the tough stem of the larger leaves. Place leaf on a plate with the stem side down and fill with 2 tbsp of filling on each leaf. Fold the cabbage leaf up over the meat, fold the sides to the center, and roll forward. Place the stuffed cabbage in a large pot. 

Pour 2 cups of water mixed with ¼ cup lemon juice, 5 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tbsp dried mint, ½ tsp salt. Bring to a boil then simmer for about 45 minutes or until the filling is cooked. Move the stuffed cabbage onto a serving platter. Serve with yogurt topped with crushed garlic.

There was and there wasn’t… by Nanor Abkarian

There was and there wasn’t a song about the Armenian kingdom of Cilicia. It is only one of many songs that capture our sense of longing, and I recall finding my great-grandmother, an orphan of the Armenian genocide, singing for Cilicia while recording her voice on a cassette tape.

There was and there wasn’t is the way that all Armenian folk tales begin. I have a hunch this speaks to our history: the kingdoms that were and weren’t, the drawing and redrawing of borders, and a severance from magnificent mountain ranges through which our understanding of the cosmos has been shaped. (1)

Each time I try to share my family’s story, I’m forced to begin with “genocide.” Perhaps one day we can discuss it over coffee. I won’t be relaying historical facts either—though I’ll note that the genocide of 1915 was not the only attempt to erase the Armenian people and culture, just the largest massacre of the 20th century; but this has already been documented.

I am more interested in being myself in the world that you and I share: an impulse that has led to my obsession with the painter Arshile Gorky. He’s described as being an island of his own because he was the last of the great Surrealists and one of the first Abstract Expressionists.(2) Gorky is Vostanik Manuk Adoian, a boy who fled to the United States from his natal village of Khorkom in 1919 shortly after his mother died of starvation in his arms.

Upon his arrival in New York, he first considered the name Archie Gunn or Archie Colt, “like the hero of a cowboy movie,” then tried “Arshel” which may be derived from “Aysaharel,” meaning “possessed by an evil spirit” or “blown by an evil wind,” until finally, he decided on “Arshile”: the Russian variant of Achilles.(3)

Gorky’s need to pass is haunting and propelled by an even more intense call to create. He spoke incessantly of the Armenian landscape and broke into Armenian song or dance on impulse. He wanted “to create so far from our homeland the shapes of nature we loved in the gardens, wheatfields and orchards […] which [he] will repossess in [his] art.”(2)

The language used to describe my fatherland is often mystical, but I have also lived with the assurance of a free and independent Armenia. During the last twenty-eight days, Armenians around the world have unified to wave a red flag to the international community. This isn’t a thing that diasporan Armenians had to discuss but rather an instinct we bear as descendants of survivors. If we can sleep, we wake up thinking of our brothers and sisters in Artsakh and Armenia with whom we are linked because of our immortal Armenian world, which we share through art, music, food and fragrance.

There was and there wasn’t sounds like both a beginning and an end, but our Happily ever after is meant to preserve the tradition of storytelling, to encourage a retelling, and to inspire a closer reading

Three apples fell from heaven:

one for the teller of this tale,

one for the listener,

and one for him who heeds the teller’s words.

1 – NL Interviews Laleh Khadivi.Youtube, uploaded by Newslaundry, Mar 2, 2013.

2 – Armenian Palette: Cultural Book Serial Vol. 16 Arshile Gorky: Vostanik Adoian Yerevan, Armenia: Armenian Society for Cultural Links, 2015.

3 – Spender, Matthew. From a High Place: A Life of Arshile Gorky. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1999.

KESHKEG GHABAKH: WINTER SQUASH STEW FROM MARASH

November 3, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes


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Latkes and Herbed Citrus Salad

Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

From your Narrative Food box:

Latkes

2 lb russet potatoes, washed

1 ea yellow onion

2 ea egg yolks

3 T matzo meal

Sour cream

Apple sauce

Citrus Salad

2 ea navel oranges, supremes

1 ea grapefruit, supremes

2 ea tangerines, zested and ¼ c of juice, rest supremes

1 head lettuce, cleaned

1 ea shallot – minced

1 bunch green onion, thinly sliced

Mint, leaves, chopped

1 T lemon juice

From your pantry:

Latkes

1 T kosher salt

½ T black pepper, ground

½ c canola or neutral frying oil (avoid olive oil)

Citrus Salad

1 T honey

½ t kosher salt

¼ t chili powder

3 T tahini

Water, as needed


Instructions

Prepare the latkes: wash the potatoes well and grate through the largest holes in a cheese grater. Do not peel. Grate 1 onion and mix together in a large bowl with 1 t of kosher salt. Lest rest for 5 minutes, then squeeze out as much water as you can from the grated potatoes and onion. The dryer your potato mix, the crispier your latkes will be. Mix in the egg yolks, matzo meal, 1 T more of Kosher salt, ½ T black pepper.

Let the potato mix rest again for 15 minutes. If you have a strainer or cheesecloth, you can also use this to strain your potatoes. Keep the water that is strained and add the potato starch back to the potatoes and discard the water.

While you’re waiting for the potatoes to drain, heat up a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add ½ c canola oil or other neutral frying oil about a quarter of the way full for a shallow fry. Once the oil is hot, take a small fork full of the potato mixture and test the batch. Taste and season the potatoes accordingly, more salt or matzo meal if needed. Russet potatoes tend to need more salt than you think.

When you’re ready to fry the latkes, heat the oil on medium high heat for a couple minutes until hot. Carefully form patties about 3” in diameter and ¾” thick by scooping some of mixture onto the fish spatula and flatten with your fingers before adding to the pan.

Give your latkes space in the pan, so that they don’t form a giant pancake, and fry them, turning them every minute to balance out hot spots in the pan, until they develop a golden crust on the bottom. Flipping is best done with a slotted spatula and a fork for balance. Your latkes are ready when both sides are a deep brown and the crust is thick. But keep in mind that they will darken as they cool, and there is such a thing as too crispy (i.e., burnt).

Season the latkes with a little more salt and drain on a paper towel as you make more batches (you can even use 2 pans if you’re feeling confident and want to cook them faster). You can keep the latkes hot by heating the oven to 200°F and keeping them on a baking sheet with a wire rack.

When all batches have been cooked, serve with sour cream and apple sauce on the side with the citrus salad!

For the citrus salad: Make the dressing: Place the shallot, tangerine zest and juice, lemon juice, honey, salt, and chili powder in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes to give shallots time to marinate. Whisk in the tahini until mixture is emulsified. If dressing is too thick, add a drizzle of water to thin.

Make the salad: To prep the citrus supremes, trim the top and bottom from each piece of fruit. Then, with downward strokes, cut remaining peel off in strips, removing peel and white pith and revealing the citrus flesh. Cut off any remaining pith. Slice citrus crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Sprinkle the chopped mint over both sides of the citrus rounds.

Place the greens in a medium bowl. Drizzle in a few tablespoons dressing and toss. Arrange the greens on a platter or plate and top with the citrus rounds. Finish with another drizzle of tahini dressing and finish with a few twists of freshly ground pepper.

 


Keywords: applesauce hanukkah latkes citrus recipes

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us @narrativefood— we can't wait to see what you've made!

Finding Africa in Lisbon

October 28, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Our upcoming Narrative Provisions boxes and Supper Kits theme comes from our archive and is inspired by Whetstone magazine, a print magazine and media company dedicated to food origins and culture.

Featured recipes were selected to pair with Ishay Govender’s essay Finding Africa in Lisbon and includes a few personal notes and interwoven memories shared by both our founder and creative director – memories of family, of place, and of comfort meals that taste of sodade.

“The history of (Portugal’s) food is deeply entwined with the so-called Age of Discoveries, the subsequent colonial years, and Portugal’s fraught relationship with Africa and the rest of the world. As the Portuguese carted ingredients such as chiles, corn, potatoes and tomatoes, as well as cookery vessels, cooking methods, recipes and slaves between the New World, Africa, Europe and Asia, knowledge and ideas danced between master and captive and back again. The dishes we know today were born in these voyages.” – excerpt from Ishay Govender’s essay “Finding Africa in Lisbon”.

 Landing on doorsteps November 6th & 7th

Order Deadline 5p. Monday, November 1st.

Next weekend’s featured recipes:

Frango Piri Piri (Chicken with Chiles) with Portuguese Style Roasted Potatoes

Piri Piri Poached Eggs with Greens and Batatas Doce to “Feed the Resistance”

Scroll down for details!

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Diaspora Co. single-origin Pragati turmeric
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Bub & Grandma’s baguette

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Narrative Provisions Box (Omnivore)


Narrative Provisions Box (Vegetarian)

Pasture Raised Meat  (Omnivore Only):

  • Pasturebird bone-in, skin-on chicken thigh
  • Emigh lamb
  • Charlito’s Chorizo

Dairy, Pantry & More!

  • Alexandre Family Farm eggs
  • Bub & Grandma’s baguette
  • Your choice of Diaspora Co. turmeric or nutmeg
  • Your choice of Malibu honey or Manzanita Manor dry-farmed walnut butter
  • New! Voila Piri Piri spice mix
  • orange juice

Locally sourced & fair-trade produce:

Fresno chiles, cilantro, lettuce, spinach, mushroom, winter squash, fennel, garlic, yellow onion, potatoes, beets, parsnips, sweet potatoes, shallots, ginger, lime, pomegranates, oranges, apples, and lemon!

*Not included in Vegetarian. 

Check your pantry for salt & pepper, extra-virgin olive oil, smoked paprika, butter, and rice (optional).


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Charlito’s version of an old time classic is made with heritage breed, pasture raised pork. It Is seasoned with a beautiful sea salt, mild paprika, and garlic. Subtle and earthy, this chorizo is just powerful enough, without overpowering. Have it with greens, a nice baguette (included in our Narrative Provisions box!), or, simply, but no less eloquently, on its own. Dry-cured for up to three months. Not heat-treated or smoked..


Sunday Supper Kit

Frango Piri Piri (Chicken with Chiles) with Portuguese Style Roasted Potatoes , featuring:

  • Pasturebird bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • Charlito’s chorizo
  • Sierra Nevada butter
  • and locally sourced produce (cilantro, ginger, lemon, ginger, potatoes, shallot, and lettuce)

Check your pantry for sea salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and extra virgin olive oil. Click HERE for the recipe.

Alexandre Family Farms
Happy Alexandre Family Farms chickens!
PXL_20210613_215416162 (1)
Diaspora Co. Anamalai nutmeg


Vegetarian Supper

Piri Piri Poached Eggs with Batatas Doce, featuring:

  • Your choice of Diaspora Co. turmeric or nutmeg
  • New! Voila Piri Piri spice blend
  • Malibu honey
  • Sierra Nevada butter
  • and locally sourced produce (yellow onion, garlic, spinach, lettuce, sweet potatoes)

Check your pantry for salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Click HERE for the recipes. 

For nights tight on time…

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Guelaguetza Mole Negro


Weeknight Supper Kit

Bricia’s Black Bean Soup with Mole Negro, featuring:

  • Guelaguetza Mole Negro
  • Eden black beans
  • Braggs apple cider vinegar
  • sour cream
  • cilantro
  • garlic
  • yellow onion

Check your pantry for cornstarch, vegetable broth, ground cumin, ground coriander, oil, salt, and pepper. Click HERE for the recipe. 

“We cannot comment intelligently on food, nor social uprisings, pandemics, or anything in between, without a perspective that is rooted in the international, intergenerational and intersectional…We believe this so fiercely that we have dedicated our work to this framing, centering concepts like origin, anthropology, and indigeneity. We are still learning, and moving concurrently with humility and fervor. understanding the parts of our struggle that are cyclical and collective provides tools for us to meet this moment with unprecedented education and empathy. The time is now!” – Mel Shi and Stephen Satterfield, cofounders of Whetstone magazine (from the intro of Vol. 6)

“When living in Portugal the best post beach meal was always to get Frango Piri Piri while listening to Cesária Évora…” – Jennifer Field Piette

Click HERE to listen to our playlist that pairs with this week’s recipes, featuring Cesária Évora, Ibeyi, and more!

Poetic Tortillas, Queens SF Gochujang, and more!

October 19, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Our upcoming Poetic Tortillas Narrative Provisions boxes and Supper Kits originally were created in collaboration with UCLA’s Fowler Museum exhibition (Feb 2016-July 2016) which featured artist, poet, and activist José Montoya (1932-2013).

A Chicano activist, poet, artist, intellectual, professor, and musician, he often found inspiration in the verdant fields of the San Joaquin Valley where his family arrived from New Mexico in the 1940s looking for work. José Montoya’s Abundant Harvest retrospective at the Fowler museum included works on paper that were displayed in nearly 100 boxes placed in rows reminiscent of grapevines and trays that used to hold grapes – the fruit that would become the symbol of the farmworkers’ struggle in the 1960s.

In honor of Montoya, his tireless support of Cesar Chavez’s United Farm Workers movement (and in time for Dia de Los Muertos), we are happy to continue sharing this box of locally and sustainably grown food celebrating Chicano culture here in Southern California.

 Landing on doorsteps October 30th& 31st

Order Deadline 5p. Monday, October 25th

Our Classic Narrative Provisions Boxes have Returned! As in the past our boxes are inspired by the theme of the week — with ingredients, creative suggestions, and 2-4 recipes based on the featured cookbook, culinary creative, or holiday.

Next weekend’s featured recipes:

Roy Choi’s Carne Asada with Pico de Gallo

Wes Avila’s Sweet Potato Tacos with Leeks and Almond Salsa

Scroll down for details!


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Queens San Francisco Gochujang
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Fresh jujubes before being made into tasty gochujang.
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Pasturebird’s mobile chicken coops.
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Narrative Provisions Box (Omnivore)


Narrative Provisions Box (Vegetarian)

Pasture Raised Meat* (Omnivore Only):

  • Electric City Butcher carne asada
  • Pasturebird boneless skinless chicken breast
  • Keller Crafted sausage

Dairy, Pantry & More!

  • Alexandre Family Farm eggs
  • Queens SF gochujang
  • Cacique queso fresco
  • Monterrey jack cheese
  • Mi Rancho corn tortillas
  • Ohsawa mirin
  • Braga almonds
  • cascabel chiles
  • orange juice

Locally sourced & fair-trade produce:

White onion, garlic, scallions, sweet potatoes, carrots, jalepeno, tomato, red bell pepper, tomatillos, leek, cilantro, thyme, flat parsley, lime, avocado, kiwi, oranges, and pears!

*Not included in Vegetarian. 

Check your pantry for white wine or broth, lager beer, red wine vinegar, ancho chili powder, sugar, sea salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil, 

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Sunday Supper Kit

Roy Choi’s Carne Asada with Pico de Gallo, featuring:

  • Electric City Butcher carne asada
  • Queens SF gochujang
  • Mi Familia corn tortillas
  • and locally sourced produce (white onion, cilantro, oranges, limes, jalepeno, scallions, tomatoes, and garlic)

Check your pantry for white sugar, ancho chili powder, lager beer, sea salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil. Click HERE for the recipe.

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Tomatillos

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Vegetarian Supper

Wes Avila’s Sweet Potato Tacos with Leeks & Almond Salsa, featuring:

  • Braga almonds
  • Sierra Nevada Monterrey Jack cheese
  • Mi Familia corn tortillas
  • Cacique queso fresco
  • Cascabel chiles
  • and locally sourced produce (green onions, garlic, carrots, leeks, flat parsley, thyme, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, tomatillos, avocado, jalepenos, and red bell peppers)

Check your pantry for red wine vinegar, white wine or broth, salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Click HERE for the recipes. 

For nights tight on time…

2-Keegan and Julie Fong
Keenan and Mama Fong
mushroom & bean curd salad (1)
Woon’s wood ear mushroom salad


Weeknight Supper Kit

Woon Kitchen Night, featuring:

  • Woon’s chewy homestyle noodles and wood ear mushroom salad
  • Bluegrass soy sauce
  • scallions
  • ginger
  • bok choy
  • carrots

Check your pantry for oil, salt, and pepper.

In our Kitchen Library: Alice Waters

October 13, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

“When you have the best and tastiest ingredients, you can cook very simply and the food will be extraordinary because it tastes like what it is. ” – Alice Waters

Our upcoming Narrative Provisions box is inspired by Alice Waters’ wonderful book The Art of Simple Food. This homage to Alice’s inspiring opus is a welcome reminder that we really need to do very little to create a delicious meal. Simple is the best way to let beautiful ingredients shine.

Landing on doorsteps October 23rd & 24th

Order Deadline 5p. Monday, October 18th

Our Classic Narrative Provisions Boxes Have Returned! As in the past our boxes are inspired by the theme of the week — with ingredients, creative suggestions, and 2-4 recipes based on the featured cookbook, culinary creative, or holiday.

Next weekend’s featured recipes:

Grilled Top Sirloin with Broccoli & Smashed Potatoes

Carrot Soup with Marinated Red Pepper Salad

Scroll down for more!


Alexandre Family Farms
The lovely pasture-raised hens responsible for Alexandre Family Farms delicious regenerative eggs.
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Bub & Grandma’s baguette
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From Jennifer’s visit to Alice Waters’ Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley over the summer.


Narrative Provisions Box (Omnivore)


Narrative Provisions Box (Vegetarian)

Pasture Raised Meat* (Omnivore Only):

  • Electric City Butcher Top Sirloin
  • Pasturebird Drumstick, bone-in & skin-on – 1 lb.
  • Keller Crafted Bacon

Dairy, Pantry & More!

  • Alexandre Family Farm eggs
  • Smart & Simple Gourmet Mirepoix vegetable broth
  • champagne vinegar
  • cheese
  • Bub & Grandma’s baguette
  • Braga almonds
  • orange juice

Locally sourced & fair-trade produce:

Oregano, broccoli, garlic, lemon, potatoes, onion, thyme, carrots, mixed peppers, lettuce, artichoke, kale, persimmons, pears, and fair-trade bananas!

*Not included in Vegetarian. 

Check your pantry for sea salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, stock, and bay leaves. 

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Sunday Supper Kit

Grilled Sirloin Steak with Smashed Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli, featuring:

  • Electric City Butcher Top Sirloin
  • Sierra Nevada butter
  • and locally sourced produce (thyme+oregano, broccoli, garlic, lemon, Yukon Gold potatoes )

Check your pantry for sea salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil. Click HERE for the recipe.

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Vegetarian Supper

Carrot Soup alongside Marinated Red Pepper Salad with a Bub & Grandma’s baguette, featuring:

  • Smart & Simple Gourmet mirepoix vegetable broth
  • champagne vinegar
  • Central Coast Creamery cheese
  • Bub & Grandma’s baguette
  • and locally sourced produce (yellow onion, thyme, carrots, garlic, mixed peppers)

Check your pantry for butter, salt, and extra virgin olive oil. Click HERE for the recipes. 

For nights tight on time…

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Weeknight Supper Kit

Pizza Night, featuring:

  • Lupa Cotta pizza dough
  • Bianco Di Napoli tomato sauce
  • mozzarella cheese
  • tomato
  • basil

Check your pantry for oil, salt, and pepper.

Alice’s Principles for a Delicious Revolution
During Jennifer’s pilgrimage to Alice’s restaurant Chez Panisse with her daughters Lily & Hannah. August 2014.

In the Kitchen with Amelia Saltsman

October 6, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Amelia Saltsman is one of our all-time, most beloved cookbook writers. Her tome, The Seasonal Jewish Kitchen, has become a Narrative Food favorite over the years. Amelia and her beautiful cookbook are the inspiration for our upcoming Supper Kits, Narrative Provisions boxes (they’re back!), Pantry Provisions bundle and more!

When we read Amelia’s recipes, we feel as if we are side by side with her perusing fruits and vegetables, taking in her knowledge of the Southern California seasons, climate and food cycles.

Landing on doorsteps October 16th & 17th

Order Deadline 5p. Monday, October 11th

Classic Narrative Provisions Box Update: As in the past our boxes are inspired by the theme of the week — with ingredients and recipes based on the featured cookbook, culinary creative, or holiday. Recipe inspiration is included, but unlike our prior boxes we will provide creative suggestions rather than a full 5-meal menu with all recipes and ingredients included. Please expect 2-4 recipes using the ingredients in your box along with some basic pantry items you have to hand like Olive Oil, spices etc. Scroll down for details!

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Narrative Provisions Box (Omnivore)


Narrative Provisions Box (Vegetarian)

Pasture Raised Meat (Omnivore Only):

  • Pasturebird Drumstick, bone-in & skin-on – 1 lb. 
  • Emigh Lamb
  • Rancho Llano Seco Ground Pork – 1 lb. 

Dairy, Pantry & More!

  • Alexandre Family Farm eggs
  • Manzanita Manor walnut oil 
  • Just Pomegranate Syrup
  • orange juice
  • dried plums or pitted prunes 
  • couscous or maftoul
  • labneh

Locally sourced produce:

Arugula, Bosc pears, butternut squash, celery, flat leaf parsley, garlic, lemon, lettuce, carrots, Napa cabbage, yellow onion, oranges, pomegranates, quince, radicchio, and sweet potatoes., Butternut Squash, and Quince Tagine, featuring:

  • Emigh Lamb
  • couscous or maftoul
  • and locally sourced produce (quince, yellow onion, garlic, parsley, butternut squash, pomegranate, and lemon)

Check your pantry for ras el hanout, sea salt, extra virgin olive oil, stock, and bay leaves. Click HERE for the recipe.

Amelia Saltsman Supper Kits 2 copy

Sunday Supper Kit

Lamb, Butternut Squash, and Quince Tagine, featuring:

  • Emigh Lamb
  • couscous or maftoul
  • and locally sourced produce (quince, yellow onion, garlic, parsley, butternut squash, pomegranate, and lemon)

Check your pantry for ras el hanout, sea salt, extra virgin olive oil, stock, and bay leaves. Click HERE for the recipe.

roasted carrot copy

Vegetarian Supper

Hearty Autumn Slaw alongside Roasted Carrot & Sweet Potato Tzimmes (in photo), featuring:

  • Manzanita Manor walnut oil & dry-farmed walnuts
  • Prunes
  • and locally sourced produce (lemons, Napa cabbage, radicchio, celery, arugula, Bosc pears, oranges, carrots, and sweet potatoes)

Check your pantry for Dijon mustard, sea salt, white pepper, and finishing salt. Click HERE for the slaw recipe and HERE for the quiche recipe. 

For nights tight on time…

mission rose radiatorre

Weeknight Supper Kit

Pasta Night, featuring:

  • Mission Rose radiatore pasta & Caponata sauce
  • Parmesan
  • lettuce
  • parsley

Check your pantry for oil, salt, and pepper.

New! Each week our Pantry Provisions bundle will feature a few of our favorite small batch artisan goods that share a theme with our Supper Kits. Pair it with Our Favorite Farms produce bundle (or the bounty from your garden!) for a delicious culinary experience.

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Amelia pantry ingredients

Pantry Provisions

Next weekend’s selection is inspired by Amelia Saltsman’s recipe for Brussel Sprouts with Pomegranate and features:

Hlth Punk harissa paste

Just Pomegranate syrup

Canaan maftoul 

and Manzanita Manor walnut oil

Just add thyme and Brussels sprouts as well as check your pantry for salt, labneh, za’atar, extra-virgin olive oil, and Aleppo pepper. Click HERE for the recipe. 

 

 

In the Kitchen with Kendra Aronson

September 30, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Next weekend’s Supper Kit recipes are taking us on a trip to San Luis Obispo (SLO) – home to 20 weekly farmers’ markets and a vibrant local food scene of rich cheeses, meats, fish, bread and produce. SLO is fertile ground for chefs, small-batch food makers, and culinary creatives – including Kendra Aronson. In her cookbook,“San Luis Obispo Farmers’ Market Cookbook: Simple Seasonal Recipes & Short Stories from the Central Coast of California”, Aronson has compiled a collection of delicious recipes spotlighting folks in the SLO community. Scroll down for details!

Landing on doorsteps October 9th & 10th

Order Deadline 5p. Monday, October 4th

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Sunday Supper Kit

Grilled Sausage, Poached Eggs & Hasselback Potatoes with Pistachio Pesto, featuring:

  • Electric City Butcher sausages
  • Alexandre Family Farms eggs
  • Pistachios
  • Parmesan
  • and locally sourced produce (potatoes, basil, and garlic)

Check your pantry for butter, olive oil, salt and pepper. Click HERE for the recipe.

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Vegetarian Supper

Butternut Squash Apple Soup alongside Mushroom Leek Quiche, featuring:

  • Marcie’s pie shell
  • Alexandre Family Farms eggs
  • Straus heavy cream
  • Fiscalini cheddar cheese
  • and locally sourced produce (celery, carrots, butternut squash, yellow onion, green apples, chives, leeks, mushrooms, garlic, and spinach)

Check your pantry for butter, vegetable broth, nutmeg, ginger (optional) vinegar, salt, and pepper. Click HERE for the soup recipe and HERE for the quiche recipe. 

For nights tight on time…

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Weeknight Supper Kit

El Machete night, featuring:

  • El Machete salsa
  • Sierra Nevada Monterrey Jack cheese
  • tortillas
  • and locally sourced produce (avocados, limes, mushrooms, spring onion, cilantro)

Check your pantry for hot sauce, oil, salt, and pepper.

New! Each week our Pantry Provisions bundle will feature a few of our favorite small batch artisan goods that share a theme with our Supper Kits. Pair it with Our Favorite Farms produce bundle (or the bounty from your garden!) for a delicious culinary experience.

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Pantry Provisions

California Coast Naturals Olive Oil – a mainstay in our pantry. 

Pacific Coast Nut Mix – a crunchy and flavorful addition to any salad, soup topping, or just as a snack.

Finley Popcorn – perfect for movie night!

Naive Organic Tahini Milk Chocolate – decadent and delicious. 

Kendra Aronson with her cookbook “The San Luis Obispo Farmers’ Market Cookbook: Simple Seasonal Recipes & Short Stories from the Central Coast of California.”

Fall Favorites

September 23, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Next weekend we are embracing the season change and getting cozy with a few recipes featuring some of our favorite fall stars – pears, squash, pomegranate, and more! Scroll down for details.

Landing on doorsteps October 2nd & 3rd

Order Deadline 5p. Monday, September 27th

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Sunday Supper Kit

Chicken Cacciatore, featuring:

  • Pasturebird chicken legs
  • Keller Crafted bacon
  • CA Coast Naturals olives
  • HLTH punk tomato paste
  • Bianco DiNapoli tomato sauce
  • and locally sourced produce (carrots, mushrooms, potatoes, frisee, pears, parsley, bay leaf)

Check your pantry for olive oil, salt, pepper, flour, dried chili pepper, chicken broth, and sugar. Click HERE for the recipe.

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Vegetarian Supper

Dahl & Kabocha Squash Soup alongside Apple-Fennel & Almond with Blue Cheese Salad, featuring:

  • Point Reyes blue cheese
  • Braga almonds
  • Bub & Grandma’s baguette
  • lentils
  • and locally sourced produce (pomegranate, escarole, fennel, apple, celery, lemon, onions, garlic, kabocha squash, and cilantro)

Check your pantry for oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Click HERE for the soup recipe and HERE for the salad recipe. 

For nights tight on time…

mama fong

Weeknight Supper Kit

Woon Kitchen Night, featuring:

  • Mama Fong’s Veggie Dumplings
  • Woon Chilled Cucumber & Tofu salad
  • rice
  • mushrooms

Check your pantry for oil, salt, and pepper.

New! Each week our Pantry Provisions bundle will feature a few of our favorite small batch artisan goods that share a theme with our Supper Kits. Pair it with Our Favorite Farms produce bundle (or the bounty from your garden!) for a delicious culinary experience.

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Pantry Provisions

Rancho Meladuco Medjool dates: Perfect for pairing with the Point Reyes blue cheese in our Vegetarian Supper Kit. 

HLTH punk tomato paste and local olives: Pair with Bianco Di Napoli tomato sauce and our Butcher’s Bundle to make chicken cacciatore. 

Pearl barley lends itself to a cozy meal when enjoyed with the kabocha squash in Our Favorite Farms produce bundle.

Coconuts & Collards and more!

September 17, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Next weekend we are featuring adaptations and recipes from a few of B. Evy-Marie’s favorite cookbooks and magazines in her kitchen library: honoring Latinx Heritage month by traveling to her abuelita’s Puerto Rican roots with Von Diaz and her cookbook Coconuts & Collards, as well as a throwback to Food & Wine’s spread The Original Innovators which was curated by Dr. Jessica B. Harris and features chef Ashleigh Shanti, culinary historian Micheal Twitty, writer Osayi Endolyn, and more! Scroll down for details.

Landing on doorsteps September 25th & 26th

Order Deadline 5p. Monday, September 20th

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Sunday Supper Kit

Pernil-Style Pork Loin with Coconut-braised Collard Greens and Fried Plantains*, featuring:

  • Rancho Llano Seco pork poin
  • Diaspora Co. turmeric
  • More than Fair coconut milk
  • fairtrade plantains
  • and locally sourced produce (collards, garlic, lemon, limes, oranges, scallion)

Check your pantry for olive oil, salt, pepper, butter, soy sauce, garlic powder, dried oregano, and coconut oil. Scroll down for the recipe.

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Vegetarian Supper

Roasted Squash with Collard Miso Pesto paired with Fennel-Apple-Collard Salad, featuring:

  • Omiso miso
  • Diaspora Co. turmeric
  • fairtrade plantains 
  • unsalted roasted peanuts
  • and locally sourced produce (lemon, garlic, acorn squash, collard greens, fennel, pink lady apples, shallots)

Check your pantry for oil, vinegar, sumac, salt, pepper and mustard. Scroll down for the recipe.

For nights tight on time…

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Weeknight Supper Kit

Lupa Cotta Pizza Night with Mission Rose Heirloom Tomato Sauce:

  • Lupa Cotta pizza balls
  • Mission Rose heirloom tomato sauce
  • Bellwether Farms ricotta

Check your pantry for oil, salt, and pepper.

“Oftentimes, I find cookbooks to be glorified coffee table decor, beautiful albeit lacking function…This one is somewhere in between the margins; a repository of emotions; a family history; catharsis; a cookbook.”

– Von Diaz, Whetstone Magazine Volume 3

Sunday Supper: Pernil Style Pork Tenderloins

Ingredients

From your Narrative Food box:

1# pork tenderloin

2 T fresh lemon juice (for pork)

½ t fresh lime juice (for adobo)

1 t fresh orange juice (for adobo)

½ t Diaspora Co. turmeric* (for adobo)

4 garlic cloves (for adobo)

From your pantry:

½ t ground black pepper

1 ½ t dried oregano

3 t kosher salt

3 T olive oil

Instructions

Mix adobo: Put garlic, black pepper, oregano, turmeric, salt, olive oil and lime and orange juice into a small food processor and blend into a smooth puree, scraping the sides halfway through to incorporate fully. Alternatively, you can use a mortar and pestle or mash the mixture to a paste on a cutting board with the side of a knife.

Cut a series of deep holes throughout the tenderloin with a paring knife and rub it down with the adobo, pushing the seasoning into the holes. Let marinate for 30 minutes on the counter or up to overnight in the refrigerator. (The longer you can wait, the more delicious it will be!)

When you’re ready to roast, heat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil for easiest cleanup.

Place the tenderloin in the center of the pan and put the pan on the center rack of the oven. Roast until the internal temperature is 145°F in the thickest part, about 30 minutes, flipping every 10 minutes to evenly brown the outside. (If your pork hasn’t browned by the time it hits 145°F inside, you can give it a quick blast under the broiler for more browning.)

Remove the pan from the oven and set the tenderloin on a carving board to rest for about 10 minutes.

Pour 2T lemon juice into the baking pan and carefully mix it into the pork juices, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon or spatula. Pour the pan juices into a small bowl and adjust the seasonings to taste.

Cut the pork into 1-inch slices and transfer to a serving dish. (It will taste best and won’t dry out if it’s still slightly pink inside, so if you see that, it’s a good thing!) Serve with the reserved pan juices

Vegetarian Supper Kit: Roasted Squash with Collard Miso and Fennel Apple Salad 

Roasted Squash With Collards Pesto

Ingredients

From your Narrative Food box:

2 acorn squash, stemmed, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced crosswise into 1” half moons

2 c loosely packed collard greens, stemmed and chopped

⅓ c unsalted roasted peanuts

3 T miso

¼ t lemon zest + 3 ½ t fresh lemon juice

1 t minced garlic

From your pantry:

½ c + 2 T olive oil

4 t kosher salt

½ t black pepper

8 c water

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 450°F with the oven rack in lowest position. Toss together squash, 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread in a single layer. Roast in the oven on the lowest rack until squash is tender and browned, 26 to 30 minutes, flipping squash after 18 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high, and fill a bowl with ice water. Stir in 1 tablespoon kosher salt to the boiling water. To blanch greens: Add collard greens; cook until tender and bright green, about 2 minutes. Transfer collard greens to ice water; let cool for 2 minutes. Drain and pat greens completely dry; set aside.

Toast peanuts in a small skillet over medium, stirring often, until fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside; let cool for 5 minutes. 

Place greens, peanuts, miso, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor; pulse until a chunky paste forms, about 10 times. With the food processor running, gradually stream in remaining 1/2 cup oil until well combined, about 20 seconds. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper; pulse to incorporate, about 3 times. Spoon into a small serving bowl.

Arrange roasted squash on a serving platter; sprinkle with lemon zest, and garnish with flaky sea salt. Serve with pesto.

While the squash is roasting….

Collard Fennel Apple Salad 

Ingredients

From your Narrative Food box:

Plantain, cut crosswise into ¼” slices

1 bunch collard greens, stemmed and thinly sliced

1 bulb fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced. Reserve and chop fronds for garnish

2 apples, unpeeled and thinly sliced

2 shallots, minced

½ t ground Diaspora Co. turmeric

From your pantry:

¾ c neutral cooking oil (grapeseed, vegetable)

1 ½ t kosher salt

⅓ c sherry vinegar

1 T dijon mustard

1 T molasses

¼ t black pepper

Instructions

Heat 1/2 cup oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium. Working in batches, fry plantain slices until light golden, 1 minute and 30 seconds to 2 minutes per side. Transfer plantain slices to a cutting board; smash to 1/8-inch thickness using bottom of a measuring cup.

Working in batches, return smashed plantain slices to hot oil; fry over medium until golden brown and crisp, 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Transfer plantain slices to a baking sheet lined with paper towels.

Sprinkle fried plantain slices evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let cool 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, whisk together vinegar, turmeric, mustard, molasses, pepper, remaining 1/4 cup oil, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add greens; massage mixture together with your hands until collards are wilted and tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.

Add sliced fennel bulb, apples, and shallots to collard mixture; toss to coat. Add plantains; fold once to incorporate. Transfer to a serving platter; sprinkle with reserved chopped fennel fronds


Shop Supper Kits

Cooking with Little Apple Treats

September 10, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Fall is just around the corner, and with it comes the cravings for all things apple…including the delicious mulling spices, shrubs, and vinegars from Joanne Kruger’s Little Apple Treats. To celebrate the autumnal shift, next weekend’s Sunday Supper & Vegetarian Supper Kits features their delicious and versatile apple cider vinegars. Scroll down for details and check out some of their other treats!

Landing on doorsteps September 18th & 19th

Order Deadline 5p. Monday, September 13th

magnum-bonum

Sunday Supper Kit

Little Apple Treats x Massey Honey Glazed Chicken with Squash, featuring:

  • Little Apple Treats Original apple cider vinegar
  • Massey honey
  • Bluegrass soy sauce
  • Pasturebird chicken
  • and locally sourced produce (garlic, onion, squash, scallion)

Check your pantry & fridge for olive oil, salt, and pepper. Scroll down for the recipe.

Photo: Little Apple Treat’s Magnum Bonum apples, used in their apple cider vinegar.

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Vegetarian Supper

Cider Roasted Veggies, featuring:

  • Little Apple Treats Wildfire apple cider vinegar
  • Massey Honey
  • and locally sourced produce (red potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, parsnips, sweet onion, shallot, garlic, and lettuce)

Check your pantry  for oil, salt, pepper and mustard. Scroll down for the recipe.

For nights tight on time…

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Weeknight Supper Kit

Mission Rose Fresh Pasta Night:

  • Mission Rose fresh torchiette pasta
  • Mission Rose fennel pollen butter
  • Bub & Grandma’s baguette (to make epic garlic bread!)
  • and locally sourced produce (squash, garlic, lettuce)

Check your pantry  for oil, salt, pepper and parmesan. Scroll down for the recipe.

And a few little treats…

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Apple Cider Caramels with Rose & Cocoa Nibs

Little Apple Treat’s luxurious caramels start as freshly-pressed cider, made from the heirloom apples grown on their Sonoma County organic farm. They  slow-cook their candies to buttery perfection using local butter and cream, dried heirloom roses from their farm + freshly ground spices.  Every caramel is then dusted with their Pink Pearl apple powder and vanilla bean sea salt. 

These award-winning caramels  are packed with rich cocoa nibs from Dick Taylor Chocolate, an award-winning chocolatier in Northern California, and sprinkled with dried heirloom rose petals from Joanne’s garden.


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Triple Citrus Shrub

Triple C 

Ingredients

1 tbs Triple Citrus Shrub

Fresh fruit (blackberries are a fave!)

8 oz sparking water

1 jigger of alcohol (opt.)

Spring of mint, tarragon, or basil.

Instructions

Muddle the fruit, add the shrub and alcohol (if using), pour over ice, top with sparking water, and garnish.

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Modern Mulling Spice

As beautiful as it is delicious, this blend combines dried heirloom rose petals from Little Apple Treats’ gardens, dried apples from their orchard, organic hibiscus blossoms, and organic spices including two types of cinnamon sticks, green cardamom pods, cloves, and allspice.

Each jar includes simple instructions for using this blend to make a modern mulled wine that can be enjoyed chilled or hot! 

Ingredients: organic hibiscus flowers, organic dried apples, organic rose petals, organic cinnamon sticks, organic cloves, organic allspice, organic black pepper, organic cardamom, organic lime

A note from Little Apple Treats founder, Joanne Krueger:

I’m a candy maker, granola baker, and apple farmer in Sebastopol, California, specializing in creating handcrafted and delicious products that support small-scale agriculture. While I spend my days in the kitchen, turning our apples into unique, exquisite products that showcase the high-quality apple cider and apple cider vinegar that our fruit produces — I wasn’t always an apple farmer. 

My love affair with apples began, somewhat accidentally, in 1999 when my husband, Dan, and I became apple growers. We were running a flower nursery, Flatland Flower Farm, out of several backyards in Berkeley and decided it was time for a bit more space for our business. We left the city behind and found a little house in Sebastopol, a small town in western Sonoma County, California.

Ten years after moving to our apple farm, using an old wooden apple press, we juiced some of our apples for the first time and aged that juice in barrels. After a year, our aged juice had fermented into startlingly delicious farm-direct apple cider vinegar.  We were hooked, and that first batch sparked a deeper curiosity — “What else can we make from our apples?” The answer, it turns out, is “a lot!”

Since creating our first batch of apple cider vinegar in 2009, I’ve used my culinary creativity to turn our apples, apple cider, and apple cider vinegar into the shrubs, caramels, granolas, and other treats!

Sunday Supper: Apple Cider Vinegar Glazed Chicken and Roasted Winter Squash

Ingredients

From your Narrative Food box:

2# Pasturebird chicken thighs (bone in)

¼ cup Massey honey

5 T Little Apple Treats apple cider vinegar

2 T Bluegrass soy sauce

8 ea garlic cloves

1 bu scallions – cut into rounds

1 ea squash

1 ea onion

From your pantry:

Olive oil

Salt/Pepper

Instructions

Season chicken thighs and bring to room temp 1 hour before cooking

Preheat oven to 400° and place the rack in the middle of the oven

Finely chop 8 cloves garlic and place in a small bowl. Whisk together with honey, apple cider vinegar and soy sauce. Use half of the mixture for the chicken and reserve the other half for the roasted squash.

Prepare the vegetables: cut the squash in half and scrape out the seeds. Cut into 1” cubes, removing the skin. Cut the onion into petals and add to squash. Toss the vegetables with olive oil, salt, pepper and the rest of the honey, soy, acv mixture. Put on a baking sheet (with parchment paper) and bake until tender ~30 minutes. Baking times may vary depending on the size and thickness of the squash.

Heat a large cast iron over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add the chicken, skin-side down and cook until the fat is rendered and the skin is golden-brown and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.

Flip the chicken so that it is skin-side up. Pour the honey-garlic sauce over the chicken. Place the skillet in the oven and roast for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and spoon the sauce from the pan back over the chicken. Continue roasting until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 5 to 7 minutes more. 

Serve drizzled with the pan sauce and garnish with sliced scallions.

Vegetarian Supper: Apple Cider Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients

From your Narrative Food box:

1# red potatoes

1# sweet potatoes

½ bunch carrots

1 bunch beets

1 # parsnips

1 ea onion

6 T apple cider vinegar

3 T honey

1 ea shallot

1 head lettuce

From your pantry:

Olive oil

Salt/Pepper

2 t Dijon mustard

Note: Cut vegetables into similar size pieces so that they cook at the same time and use three baking sheets, 1 for larger/harder vegetables, 1 for smaller/quicker cooking vegetables and one for the beets separately so they don’t bleed onto the other vegetables.

Instructions

Prep the vegetables:

Potatoes: wash and cut into 2” cubes.

Carrots & parsnips: wash, peel and cut into 1” pieces.

Onion: cut into large cubes

Beets: remove tops and wash thoroughly. Will remove skin once cooked.

Preheat oven to 425° and gather 2 sheet trays and 1 roasting pan or pie pan with higher sides for the beets.

Place beets (whole) in a roasting pan or pie pan with ½-1” water in the bottom. Salt heavily and cover tightly with foil. Cook in oven for 30-45 minutes or until tender. Once the beets are done, peel the skin using a paper towel to rub the skin off.

Preheat the two sheet trays for the other vegetables by placing them in the oven for 5 minutes before adding the vegetables. This will add a nice sear to the vegetables and should sizzle when you add them to the pan. Make sure the veggies are not too crowded on the pan, which will result in steaming instead of roasting.

Toss potatoes together with olive oil, salt, and pepper and place on a HOT baking tray. Roast for ~30 minutes, tossing them halfway through, until tender.

Toss carrots, parsnips, and onion together with olive oil, salt and pepper and place on a separate HOT baking tray. Roast for ~20 minutes, tossing them halfway through, until tender.

While the vegetables are cooking, whisk together the vinaigrette: minced shallot, honey, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, and salt/pepper. Wash and cut lettuce for a quick side salad as well.

Once all the vegetables are cooked thoroughly, toss with vinaigrette (reserving some for the salad) and enjoy!

Weeknight Supper Kit: Fresh Pasta and Fennel Butter with Roasted Squash and Garlic Bread

Ingredients

From your Narrative Food box:

1 package fresh pasta

1 ea fennel butter

1 ea lemon, quartered

1 ea winter squash

1 ea baguette

1 ea head of garlic, minced

1 ea head of lettuce

From your pantry:

Salt/Pepper

Olive oil

Parmesan cheese – optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400° and place the rack in the middle of the oven

To prepare the squash: cut the squash in half and scrape out the seeds. Brush the squash with olive oil, salt, pepper. Put on a baking sheet (with parchment paper) face down and bake until tender ~30 minutes. Baking times may vary depending on the size and thickness of the squash.

To prepare the garlic bread, carefully slice the baguette in half lengthwise. In a small sauce pan heat up butter and minced garlic on low heat. Brush on or spoon the garlic butter onto both sides of the baguette. If using parmesan cheese, grate cheese onto baguette after butter. Wrap in foil and bake for ~10 minutes. Keep in foil until ready to serve.

To prepare your pasta bring salted water to a boil and cook as directed. Toss your finished pasta with the fennel butter and lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

Wash and cut the lettuce and serve with your favorite salad toppings and dressing!


Shop Supper Kits

Cooking with Bricia’s Guelaguetza Mole

September 3, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

We were thrilled to see our friend Bricia Lopez (co-owner of Guelaguetza, author of Oaxaca, and cofounder of RegardingHer) in our new favorite family Netflix series Waffles + Mochi. In episode two, the adorable pair of puppets visit her and learn what mole is, where it comes from, and Bricia shows them all the ingredients are going to used to make the dish: chile guajillos, oregano, thyme, sesame seeds, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, almonds, garlic, raisins, onions and breadcrumbs. She even teaches them how to use a molcajete to grind things up, and invites them to share a meal around the dining room table with family.

Next weekend, enjoy the delicious experience of cooking with Guelaguetza mole and more!

Landing on doorsteps September 11th & 12th

Order Deadline 5p. Monday, September 6th



Sunday Supper Kit

Chicken with Mole Negro, featuring:

  • Pasturebird chicken
  • Guelaguetza Mole Negro
  • El Machete Insurgente hot sauce
  • El Machete Salsa Fresca 
  • rice
  • black beans
  • And locally sourced produce: avocado, lime, cilantro

Check your pantry & fridge for tomato sauce and chicken stock (optional). Click HERE for the recipe.

Photo by Quentin Bacon.

“Mole is the essence of Oaxaca. The word triggers so many emotions for me: my memories, my grandma; my family…It’s a dish that sings community and it’s a dish that makes me proud of being Oaxacan because of all the ingredients in it that Mexico gave to the world: chocolate, chiles, corn, and tomatoes.” – excerpt from Oaxaca: Home Cooking From The Heart of Mexico by Bricia Lopez and the family behind LA’s Guelaquetza with Javier Cabral.



Vegetarian Supper

Sweet Potato Mole Tacos with Avocado Crema, featuring:

  • Guelaguetza Mole Coloradito
  • El Machete Verde Rebelde hot sauce
  • rice
  • corn tortillas
  • black beans
  • and locally sourced produce – sweet potatoes, cilantro, lime, avocado, garlic, lettuce

Check your pantry  for oil, salt, and pepper. Click HERE for the recipe. 

And for nights tight on time…



Weeknight Supper Kit

El Machete Nacho Night:

  • El Machete pico de gallo
  • Late July tortilla chips 
  • Monterrey Jack cheese
  • refried beans
  • and locally sourced produce: avocado, Roma tomatoes, white onion, limes and lettuce



Shop Supper Kits featuring Guelaguetza Mole

Celebrating the Seasons with Amelia Saltsman

August 27, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Amelia Saltsman is one of our all-time, most beloved cookbook writers. Her tome, The Seasonal Jewish Kitchen, has become a Narrative Food favorite over the years. When we read Amelia’s recipes, we feel as if we are side by side with her perusing fruits and vegetables, taking in her knowledge of the Southern California seasons, climate and food cycles.

Landing on doorsteps in time for Rosh Hashanah, our upcoming Supper Kits celebrate the season and the sweet promises of a new year. Stay tuned for more from Amelia in the fall!

Order Deadline 5p. Monday, August 30th for weekend delivery.



Sunday Supper Kit

Chicken with Citrus & Prunes 

“This dish was inspired by Moroccan braises with preserved lemons and an old favorite Silver Palate recipe.”   

  • Pasturebird chicken
  • HLTH punk harissa 
  • farro
  • prunes
  • And locally sourced produce: carrots, cilantro, parsley, lemon, oranges and apples

Check your pantry & fridge for green olives, honey, dry white wine, and chicken stock. Click HERE for the recipe.



Vegetarian Supper

Spicy-Sweet Grilled Vegetables with Homemade Silan and Shanklish

“Marry silan (also known as date honey, syrup, or molasses) and harissa (the classic North African spice paste) for a super simple, versatile, and exciting grill sauce. This is no mere marriage of convenience. This three-ingredient blend has notes of caramel, coffee, citrus, earth, heat, and smoke…I especially love it with hearty beet, carrot, and sweet potato “steaks” on the grill. Shanklish—thick labneh seasoned with za’atar and Aleppo pepper—is the perfect creamy counterpoint.”

  • HLTH punk harissa
  • Canaan za’atar
  • flat bread
  • farro or couscous
  • labneh
  • and locally sourced produce – sweet potatoes, rainbow carrots, garlic, thyme, and apples

Check your pantry  for oil, salt, and Aleppo or Urfa pepper.  Scroll down for the recipe. 

And for nights tight on time…



Weeknight Supper Kit

Woon Kitchen Night:

  • Mama Fong’s dumplings
  • Wood Ear Mushroom & Bean Curd Stick Salad 
  • rice
  • fresh cucumber



Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit

Take a night off from cooking and enjoy our Wine & Grazing Board Supper kit in the backyard, poolside, or cozied up on the couch.  

  • Subject to Change Wild Child Red Field Blend
  • Seed + Mill Tahini
  • Manzanita Manor dry-farmed walnuts
  • Rancho Meladuco Sun-ripened Medjool dates
  • Rustic Bakery Artisan Fruit Crisps
  • Scout Garden Pesto tuna
  • Olympia Provisions Saucisson Sec
  • Local goat cheese 

Amelia Saltsman’s Spicy-Sweet Grilled Vegetables with Homemade Silan and Shanklish

INGREDIENTS

For the vegetables:

1/3-1/2 pound each sweet potatoes, carrots, and tennis-ball size beets 

1/4 cup healthy oil, such as olive, avocado, or safflower

1/8 cup silan, homemade (click HERE for the recipe) or Just Date syrup from last week’s Vegetarian Supper Kit

1 heaping tablespoon HLTH punk harissa

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

For the Shanklish:

1 cups labneh

1 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon Canaan za’atar spice blend

Aleppo, Maras, or Urfa pepper to taste

To serve:

Chopped thyme leaves

Cooked grain

Flatbread

INSTRUCTIONS:

Scrub or peel carrots and cut on the diagonal into largest possible oval slices, ¼- to ½-inch thick. Scrub sweet potatoes and cut lengthwise into ½-inch-thick wedges. Scrub beets and cut on diagonal into largest possible disks, ¼- to ½-inch thick

Have a bowl filled with ice and water ready near the stove. Cook carrots in generously salted boiling water until their color brightens and carrots are slightly flexible, 2 minutes. Lift carrots out with a spider or slotted spoon and drop into the ice water bath to stop the cooking process and preserve color. Repeat with the sweet potato wedges. Lift carrots and potatoes out of ice bath and drain on cloth or paper towels. Repeat blanching process with beets and place on separate towel. Pat vegetables dry. Vegetables may be prepared a day ahead to this point and refrigerated covered.

Prepare the Shanklish. Crush garlic through press into the labneh and add za’atar and Aleppo pepper to taste. Stir vigorously to blend. Labneh may be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated.

Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium. Place oil, silan, harissa, and salt in a microwavable or heatproof bowl. Heat briefly in microwave oven or in a pot of simmering water to soften ingredients. Whisk to blend.

Toss silan mixture with vegetables to coat generously (toss red beets separately to prevent staining the other vegetables). Grill vegetables, reserving silan mixture, until nicely scored and tender, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Adjust heat or move vegetables to cooler part of grill as needed to avoid burning. As vegetables are done, return them to the remaining silan mixture and toss to coat.

Arrange vegetables on a platter, top with chopped herbs, if desired, and accompany with the shanklish, and your choice of grain or pita. Vegetables may be grilled several hours ahead and served at room temperature.


Shop Supper Kits inspired by Amelia Saltsman

In the Kitchen with Sara Ahmad

August 19, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Sara Leana Ahmad has been a part of our Narrative Food family and sharing her recipes and stories with our community since 2017, and we are honored that she is returning as guest narrator next weekend!

Order deadline 5p Monday, August 23rd for weekend delivery.

“IRAQ is: Mesopotamia, the Cradle of Civilization, the Fertile Crescent, the land of the Tigris and Euphrates, the birthplace of Abraham, the site of the Garden of Eden, the supposed burial ground of Noah’s Ark, home to Gilgamesh. It has deep and powerful roots. And those roots are reflected in the cuisine.

The very first cookbook ever written was from Mesopotamia, on stone tablets.

Iraq’s rich history and glorious ethnic and cultural diversity means its food is complex. Iraqi cuisine is influenced by Levantine, Iranian, Turkish, Kurdish, Armenian, Jewish, and Indian cuisine, among others, creating something wholly original and beautiful.

Alas Americans seem to know very little about Iraq other than war, destruction, and violence. It’s all we get to see. This limited view of such a beautiful country, which up until the sixties was known as “The Jewel of the Middle East,” continues an Orientalist tradition of pigeonholing the entire region as violent and destructive. We learn that the violence is somehow inherent and so we choose to ignore it, without considering the consequences.

More and more Iraqis are using social media to show us a different view of Iraq than the one portrayed in media. They are moving the camera lens an inch, to the parts we don’t usually see, the beauty and life that exists despite the violence, corrupt policies, and foreign meddling, the curses of such rich land and soil.

A few years ago Snapchat featured a Day in the Life of Baghdad, in which Iraqi snaps of daily life were selected, surprising millions. We don’t think about carnivals, delicious food, beautiful landscapes, people laughing and enjoying life when we think about Iraq. And sadly unless we look for it we won’t see it. The popular Instagram account @EveryDayIraq features a collection of photographs that depict daily life among its people, beyond the scope of violence.

Yes, there is corruption and violence in Iraq – as there is here and anywhere. But there is so much more to Iraq. And given our active participation in the region, it is at the very least our responsibility to attempt to understand our shared humanities.

As it always is, food is a powerful cultural bridge. These kits are more than just recipes and ingredients: they are a positive social force! Enjoy!

Bil Afya | Bon Appetit

With love, Sara



Sunday Supper Kit

Nena’s Tashreeb Istanbuli

“Tashreeb is the name for a type of dish with broth-soaked bread as the base. It can be soaked with meat or bean broth, depending on the dish. This particular tashreeb is very uncommon. Iraqis do not know this tashreeb if you ask them. Only the Iraqi Turkoman in Kirkuk made this tashreeb, and even then it was uncommon.”  

  • Emigh Lamb
  • Flatbread
  • Yogurt
  • And locally sourced produce: eggplant, tomatoes, bell peppers, scallions, and parsley

Check your pantry & fridge for eggs (opt.), turmeric, and lamb broth. Click HERE for the recipe.

“Part of what makes Iraqi cuisine so special is that a family recipe can never fully be replicated. Iraqi recipes are always verbal sketches, mere attempts at defining a dish; but Iraqis don’t cook that way. Iraqis don’t cook with measurements, they cook with their senses.I can tell you to add a tablespoon of cumin, but I don’t really know how much cumin I’ve added. As I cook, I taste along the way, adding a bit of this here and a bit of that there, and I only know it’s right when it tastes right. The essence of my mother’s tastes and textures were passed to me because I grew up eating her food and watching her cook. There is no way to pigeonhole taste; there is no way to reveal the secrets of your mother’s taste. And Iraqi food is just that; it is the food of your mother’s taste. And her taste is deeply rooted in Mesopotamian history…” (Read more HERE.)



Vegetarian Supper

Dibis Maqluba is a dish to prepare when you have guests. It literally means ‘upside down’, and is a layered rice dish that you triumphantly finish by flipping upside down onto. platter. It is popular throughout the Middle East, each region having its own variation. The Iraqi version stands out with its beautifully bright colors and warm, comforting layers.” – excerpt from A House with a Date Palm will Never Starve

Dibis Maqluba & Mama’s Kubba’t Hallab, featuring:

  • HLTH punk tomato paste
  • Just Date syrup
  • Alexandre Family Farms eggs
  • Basmati Rice
  • Almonds (opt.)
  • Raisins (opt.)
  • Labneh
  • and locally sourced produce – onion, garlic, tomatoes, mushrooms (opt.), eggplant, bell peppers, and parsley

Check your pantry for veggie broth. Scroll down for Sara’s Dibis Maqluba recipe, and click HERE for Mama’s Kubba’t Hallab (swap the ground beef or lamb for your choice of filling: mushrooms, eggplant, etc.)

And for nights tight on time…



Weeknight Supper Kit

Lupa Cotta x Mission Rose Pizza Night, featuring:

  • Lupa Cotta pizza dough
  • Mission Rose roasted red pepper sauce 
  • baby eggplant
  • basil



Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit

Take a night off from cooking and enjoy our Wine & Grazing Board Supper kit in the backyard, poolside, or cozied up on the couch.  

  • Subject to Change Wild Child Red Field Blend
  • Seed + Mill Tahini
  • Manzanita Manor dry-farmed walnuts
  • Rancho Meladuco Sun-ripened Medjool dates
  • Rustic Bakery Artisan Fruit Crisps
  • Scout Garden Pesto tuna
  • Olympia Provisions Saucisson Sec
  • Local goat cheese 

“Only when I started cooking did I learn to truly delight in food. Although I live in Los Angeles, my parents grew up in Iraq and I learned how to eat from them. In our culture, as in many non-Western cultures, food is a central part of family life. When possible we would eat at a table, together. There are usually grains or legumes, meat, and tons of vegetables at every shared meal. When we sat for dinner — since lunch was always reserved for school or work — we sat for hours eating, talking, arguing, laughing. Meals were relaxed, never rushed…”

Dibis Maqluba

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups basmati rice, soaked and strained
  • 4 cups water, for boiling
  • 4 tbs salt (3 for boiling, 1 for taste)
  • 1/2 large onion, diced
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup date syrup
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 large aubergine (eggplant), cut in 1/2 in rounds
  • 1/2 large onion, sliced
  • 2 bell peppers, sliced
  • 2 tomatoes, 1/2 in slices
  • 1 1/2 cups oil for sauteing
  • 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

Bring the water and salt to boil and add the rice. Boil for seven to ten minutes, drain, and set aside. Sate the diced onions in oil until translucent. Add the salt, garlic, and tomato paste to coat the onions. Sate for three to five minutes before adding the vegetable broth and diced tomato. Simmer for five minutes, add to the rice along with the lemon juice, and cook over a low heat. 

Combine the date syrup, olive oil, and salt to coat the aubergine rounds and the onion slices. In batches, lightly pan fry the aubergine; cool on paper towels. Caramelize the onions, sate the peppers with salt, and lightly pan fry the tomatoes; set aside each vegetable as they are ready. 

Cover the bottom of a non-stick pot in oil. Layer the aubergine to cover the bottom; add the tomatoes, then the peppers, and the onions in layers. Finally, add the rice, flatten it down, and cook on a low heat for at least fifteen minutes. 

To flip the maqluba, place a serving platter that is larger in diameter than the pot and quickly turn over. Top with parsley and serve with thick yoghurt. 

Sara is an Iraqi-American educator, writer, and keeper of family traditions based here in Los Angeles, California. Her food blog Add a Little Lemon has been featured in Food52, Ajam Media Collective, Middle East Eye, and Buzzfeed, among other places; and was nominated as Saveur’s Best New Voice in 2017. You can find her recipes in the cookbook anthology A House With A Date Palm Will Never Starve (2019) alongside many greats. She is a founding member of the Iraqi Narratives Project, an oral history project documenting the stories of Iraqis at home and in diaspora. Recently she has been featured in the series Third Culture Kitchens; and her prose-poem [FRAGMENTS: UNTITLED] has been published in the Joao-Roque Literary Journal. She is currently working on a cookbook and a collection of vignettes.

Photo by @ahmadmousa

Late Summer Suppers

August 13, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Next weekend’s menu shines a spotlight on some of our favorite late summer ingredients – tomatoes, plums, and corn – and pairs with with Mission Rose pasta and Bub & Grandma’s baguette.

Order deadline 5p Monday, August 16th for weekend delivery.



Sunday Supper Kit

Roast Chicken with Green Beans & Bulgur Wheat Salad. Featuring:

  • Pasturebird chicken
  • Bub & Grandma’s baguette
  • bulgar wheat
  • and locally sourced produce – corn, lemon, garlic, arugula, tomatoes, cucumber, mint, green beans, as well as figs for dessert

Check your pantry for extra-virgin olive oil, butter, salt, Diaspora Co. black pepper.  


Vegetarian Supper Kit

Mission Rose Pesto Pasta & Plum Kuchen. Featuring:

  • Featuring Mission Rose mafaldine pasta
  • Belfiore cillegini
  • Bub & Grandma’s baguette
  • Bob’s Red Mill organic flour
  • Alexandre Family Farm eggs
  • active dry yeast
  • pine nuts
  • and locally sourced produce – basil, garlic, lemon, and plums.

Check your pantry for extra virgin olive oil, salt, and Diaspora Co. Aranya black pepper. 

And for nights tight on time…


Weeknight Supper Kit

Mission Rose Summer Pasta with Corn Featuring:

  • Mission Rose conchiglie
  • Parmigiano Reggiano
  • and locally sourced produce – corn, shallots, basil, lemon and lettuce.

Check your pantry for olive oil, salt and pepper. 



Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit

Take a night off from cooking and enjoy our Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit in the backyard, poolside, or cozied up on the couch. Featuring:

  • Vin de California Amethyst Field Blend
  • Bivalve Mendoca cheese
  • Manzanita Manor chocolate covered walnuts
  • Scout lobster
  • La Quercia Prosciutto Americano
  • hazelnuts
  • and Rustic Bakery crackers

The Vegetarian Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit skips the conserva and charcuterie.

Back to School

August 6, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Next weekend’s menu features family friendly recipes that are equally delicious as they are easy to prepare. Whether in-person or at-home, a new season of apples gives the Sunday Supper kit tasty Back-to-School vibes. For the #MealKitRebel, add apples or stone fruit to your Vegetarian Supper Kit to make a sweet pie instead of a savory quiche.

Order deadline 5p Monday, August 9th for weekend delivery. 



Sunday Supper Kit

Sausages & Roasted Green Beans with Sweet Potato & Apple Mash and Apple Crumble for dessert! Featuring:

  • Electric City Butcher sausages
  • rolled oats
  • and locally sourced produce – sweet potatoes, apples, green beans, lemon, and rosemary

Check your pantry for extra-virgin olive oil, salt, Diaspora Co. black pepper, cinnamon, cayenne, all-purpose flour, Malibu honey, butter, and brown sugar.  



Vegetarian Supper Kit

Orzo Sakad with Leek & Mushroom Quiche with Market Greens & Herb Salad. Featuring:

  • Alexandre Family Farms eggs
  • Straus heavy whipping cream and butter
  • Fiscalini Cheddar cheese
  • flour, and locally sources produce – leeks, mushrooms, garlic, lettuce, lemon, parsley, dill, and mint

Check your pantry for red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, Malibu Honey, Diaspora Co. Aranya black pepper, and mustard. 

And for nights tight on time…


Weeknight Supper Kit

Curried Cauliflower with Rice

  • Koda Farms rice
  • More Than Fair coconut milk
  • curry paste
  • and locally sourced produce – white onion, ginger, garlic, cauliflower, potatoes, bell pepper, scallion, and cilantro.

Check your pantry for olive oil, salt and pepper. 



Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit

Take a night off from cooking and enjoy our Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit in the backyard, poolside, or cozied up on the couch. Featuring:

  • Vin de California Amethyst Field Blend
  • Bivalve Mendoca cheese
  • Manzanita Manor chocolate covered walnuts
  • Scout lobster
  • La Quercia Prosciutto Americano
  • hazelnuts
  • and Rustic Bakery crackers

The Vegetarian Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit skips the conserva and charcuterie.

 

Sweetening Summer

July 30, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Next weekend’s menu features delicious, and easy to prepare meals with the best of what midsummer has to offer. Tomatoes, eggplant, chili peppers are stars of the meal paired with a few of our favorite pantry staples – Malibu Honey, Bluegrass soy sauce, and more! 

Order deadline 5p Monday, July 26th for weekend delivery. 



Sunday Supper Kit

Sticky Honey Soy Chicken Wings with Charred Eggplant, featuring:

  • Pasturebird chicken wings
  • Bluegrass soy sauce
  • Malibu Honey
  • and locally sourced produce – eggplant, lettuce, lemon, cilantro, ginger, and garlic

Check your pantry for salt, Diaspora Co. black pepper, butter, and sesame seeds.



Vegetarian Supper Kit

Orzo Sakad with Lemon Vinaigrette paired with Gazpacho featuring:

  • Belfiore feta cheese
  • Manzanita Manor dry-farmed heirloom walnuts
  • Bub & Grandma’s baguette
  • California Coast Naturals olives
  • orzo
  • and locally sources produce – cherry tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, red bell peppers, lemon, red onion, and basil.

Check your pantry for red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, Malibu Honey (included in our Sunday Supper Kit), Diaspora Co. Aranya black pepper, and broth. 

And for nights tight on time…


Weeknight Supper Kit

Taco Night with Mesa Salsa

  • Mesa Salsa
  • Late July tortilla chips
  • corn tortillas
  • and locally sourced produce – cauliflower, onion, avocado, chili pepper, limes, cilantro, and garlic.

Check your pantry for olive oil, salt and pepper. 



Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit

Take a night off from cooking and enjoy our Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit in the backyard, poolside, or cozied up on the couch. Featuring:

  • J.Brix Stay in Bed Red
  • Meredith marinated sheep cheese
  • Manzanita Manor dry-farmed walnut butter
  • M.Greenwood marmalade, Patagonia mussels
  • Hayden Sonora crackers
  • Olympia Provisions Saucisson

The Vegetarian Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit skips the conserva and charcuterie.

 

Celebrating 11 Years

July 20, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Next weekend’s menu – celebrating our eleventh anniversary – features a few easy seasonal recipes that spotlight some of our favorite farms and local artisans that we have come to know over the years. 

Order deadline 5p Monday, July 26th for weekend delivery. 



Sunday Supper Kit

Skirt Steak, Potatoes, and Heirloom Tomatoes with Mission Rose and Bub & Grandma’s Garlic Baguette, featuring:

  • Electric City Butcher skirt steak
  • Mission Rose garlic & herb butter
  • Bub & Grandma’s baguette
  • and locally sourced produce – chives, heirloom tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce, and red onion

Check your pantry for olive oil, vinegar mustard, salt, Diaspora Co. black pepper and coriander, cumin and fennel seed. 

Image: A throwback to one of our favorite menus from the last year that celebrated the release of Whetstone Magazine Vol. 6 and featured poetry by Krystal Mack. 



Vegetarian Supper Kit

Beans & Chard with Poached Eggs paired with Stuffed Tomatoes, featuring:

  • Koda Farms rice
  • California Coast Naturals black olives
  • artisan goat cheese
  • dried beans
  • and locally sourced produce: lemon, onion, garlic, Fresno chile, basil, chard, tomatoes, and oregano

Check your pantry for extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, baharat, Diaspora Co. Aranya black pepper and labneh. 

And for nights tight on time…


Weeknight Supper Kit

Lupa Cotta x Mission Rose Pizza Night

  • Lupa Cotta pizza dough
  • Mission Rose puttanesca (their mildly-spiced Puttanesca combines sweet and salty flavors of tomatoes, Castelvetrano olives, capers, garlic, with crushed chili flakes)
  • Bellwether Farms crescenza cheese 
  • and basil

Check your pantry for olive oil, salt and pepper. 



Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit

Take a night off from cooking and enjoy our Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit in the backyard, poolside, or cozied up on the couch. Featuring:

  • Amy Atwood’s So Far Out chillable red 
  • Bivalve Mendoza cheese
  • Braga Pacific Coast nut blend
  • M.Greenwood marmalade
  • Hayden Flour Mill Sonora crackers
  • Jose Gourmet octopus conserva 
  • La Quercia Prosciutto Americano 

The Vegetarian Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit skips the conserva and charcuterie.

 

Summer Picnic

July 15, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Next weekend’s menu features a few recipes that are perfect for enjoying outside in your backyard, at the park, or packed up and brought the beach.

Order deadline 5p Monday, July 12th for weekend delivery.



Sunday Supper Kit

Pulled Pork Tacos with East Guacamole, featuring:

  • Marin Sun pork butt
  • corn tortillas
  • dried beans
  • guajillo chile
  • and locally sourced produce – onion, garlic, oranges, avocado, limes, and cilantro

Check your pantry for olive oil, chicken stock, spices (ground coriander, cumin, chili powder, pepper) and salt.



Vegetarian Supper Kit

Mission Rose Summer Pasta Salad with Bub & Grandma’s sesame loaf panzanella on the side and grapes for dessert. Featuring:

  • Mission Rose fresh torchiette pasta
  • Bub & Gramdma’s sesame loaf
  • Bellwether Farms ricotta
  • grating cheese
  • and locally sourced produce: mixed summer squash, basil, cucumber, heirloom tomatoes, grapes, onion, garlic, and lemon.

Check your pantry for extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, FigureAte persimmon vinegar, and Diaspora Co. Aranya black pepper. 

And for nights tight on time…


Weeknight Supper Kit

Mission Rose Pasta Night

  • Mission Rose fresh bucatini pasta
  • Mission Rose Parmegiano black pepper butter
  • and locally sourced produce –  cherry tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, and cucumber

Check your pantry for olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. 



Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit

Take a night off from cooking and enjoy our Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit in the backyard, poolside, or cozied up on the couch. Featuring:

  • Amy Atwood’s So Far Out chillable red
  • Bivalve Mendoza cheese
  • Braga Pacific Coast nut blend
  • M.Greenwood marmalade
  • Hayden Flour Mill Sonora crackers
  • Jose Gourmet octopus conserva
  • La Quercia Prosciutto Americano

The Vegetarian Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit skips the conserva and charcuterie.

Summer Favorites

July 8, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Next weekend’s menu features a few summery recipes from our archive and highlights some of our new & longtime favorite pantry staples – Hilltop & Canyon Preserved lemons, Fly by Jing Sichuan chili crisp, and Villa Jerada chermoula.

Order deadline 5p Monday, July 12th for weekend delivery. 



Sunday Supper Kit

Chicken with Hilltop & Canyon Preserved Lemons and California Coast Naturals Black Olives paired with an adaptation of Helene Henderson’s Isreali Couscous Salad. Featuring:

  • Pasturebird chicken leg quarters
  • Hilltop & Canyon preserved lemons
  • California Coast Naturals black olives
  • couscous
  • and locally sourced produce – onion, garlic, parsley, lemon, snap peas, corn carrots, and figs

Check your pantry for saffron, extra virgin olive oil, chicken stock, spices (ground coriander, cumin, paprika), butter, salt and pepper.



Vegetarian Supper Kit

Roasted Red Pepper Frittata with and Bub & Grandma’s house loaf and Villa Jerada chermoula paired with Cucumber & Peach salad. Featuring:

  • Alexandre Family Farm certified regenerative eggs
  • Milton Creamery Prairie Breeze Bub &Grandma’s house loaf, Villa Jerada chermoula spread and locally sourced produce: shallot, lemon, cucumbers, peaches, red peppers, onion, potatoes, basil, and mint. 

Check your pantry for extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, FigureAte persimmon vinegar, and Diaspora Co. Aranya black pepper. 

And for nights tight on time…


Weeknight Supper Kit

Woon Kitchen & Fly by Jing

  • Woon Kitchen homestyle chewy noodles
  • Woon Kitchen cucumber salad
  • Fly by Jing Sichuan chili crisp and locally sourced produce –  garlic, bok choy, cilantro, and green onion.

Check your pantry for vegetable or grapeseed oil, salt and pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil, and honey. 



Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit

Take a night off from cooking and enjoy our Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit in the backyard, poolside, or cozied up on the couch. Featuring:

  • Amy Atwood’s So Far Out chillable red 
  • Bivalve Mendoza cheese
  • Braga Pacific Coast nut blend
  • M.Greenwood marmalade
  • Hayden Flour Mill Sonora crackers
  • Jose Gourmet octopus conserva 
  • La Quercia Prosciutto Americano 

The Vegetarian Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit skips the conserva and charcuterie.

 

Summer Mezze

July 2, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Next weekend’s menu transports us to the Mediterranean and Middle East with easy to prepare meals that encourage you and your household to gather around the table (or a picnic blanket) and enjoy your meals at a leisurely pace.

Order deadline 5p Monday, July 5th for weekend delivery.


Explore Our New Supper Kits

Sunday Supper Kit – Grilled Lamb Kefta with Carrots, Mint & Pistachios paired with Crispy Smashed Za’atar Potatoes. Featuring:

  • Emigh Lamb
  • Canaan Za’atar
  • Braga Pistachios
  • Bellwether Farms Yogurt
  • Weiser Family Farms Potatoes
  • Carrots, Garlic, Lemon, and Mint

Check your pantry for white wine, olive oil, mustard, spices (ground coriander, crushed red pepper flakes, cumin, paprika, cinnamon), skewers, butter, salt, and pepper.

Vegetarian Supper Kit – Maftoul Salad and Grilled Halloumi & Chickpeas paired with Figs & Grapes featuring:

  • Canaan Maftoul
  • Grillies Halloumi
  • Chickpeas
  • Parsley, Mint, Scallions
  • Cherry Tomatoes, Persian Cucumbers, Lemon, Zucchini, Red Onion
  • Figs & Grapes

Check your pantry for olive oil, tahini, salt and pepper, raisins (opt.), fresh chili pepper, tahini,  za’atar. 

And for nights tight on time…

Weeknight Supper Kit –  Mezze

  • Organic Flatbread
  • Baba Small Batch hummus
  • Cauliflower
  • Raw Spice Bar Sumac or Baharat
  • Mixed Cucumbers
  • Sungold Tomatoes

Check your pantry for olive oil, salt and pepper. 

Take a night off from cooking and enjoy our Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit in the backyard, poolside, or cozied up on the couch. Featuring:

  • Vin de California Belafonte Mission chillable red
  • Cowgirl Creamery Pierce Pt. cheese
  • Manzanita Manor dry-farmed walnuts
  • M.Greenwood jam
  • Rustic Bakery crackers
  • Scout Garden Pesto tuna conserva
  • Charlito’s cured chorizo.

Sweeten Your Summer with Masumoto Stonefruit

June 18, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

We were honored to be able to attend this week’s Eco Farm Queering Farming conference which featured Nikiko Masumoto as a guest speaker. The hours spent in discussion and community with folks on Tuesday was encouraging and reminded us of the call and response between Nikiko and her father David in their book “Changing Season: A Father, A Daughter, A Family Farm”. (Scroll down for details.)

Next weekend’s menu features Masumoto’s beloved peaches and nectarines and celebrates the various ways we enjoy stone fruit – charred and paired with meat for Sunday Supper, sliced and tossed in a salad Vegetarian Supper, eaten fresh and juicy over the kitchen sink (Snacking Fruit & Lemon), or the #MealKitRebel summer dessert favorite – peaches & crème.


Explore Our New Supper Kits

Sunday Supper Kit – Grilled Pork & Peaches with Harissa Yogurt & Spice Crusted Veggies, featuring:

  • Rancho Llano Seco pork
  • Masumoto peaches
  • HLTH Punk harissa, and more.

Check your pantry for olive oil, unsalted butter, salt, and pepper.  Photo: A visit to Masumoto, June 2019.     

Vegetarian Supper Kit – Savory Pie with Fire Roasted Peppers alongside Spring Mix Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette, featuring:

  • Bellwether crème fraîche
  • Alexandre Family Farm eggs
  • O Cal citrus champagne vinegar
  • Masumoto Nectarines and more

Check your pantry for olive oil, salt and pepper. 

Photo: A visit to Masumoto, June 2019. 

And for nights tight on time…

Weeknight Supper Kit –  Lupa Cotta Pizza Night featuring:

  • Lupa Cotta pizza dough
  • Bianco Di Napoli tomato sauce
  • Rumiano block mozzarella, basil, and summer squash. 

Check your pantry for olive oil, salt and pepper. 

Celebrate Pride with our Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit featuring:

  • So Far Out chillable red (an Amy Atwood collaboration with Field Recordings)
  • OmNom Caramel + Milk Pride Bar
  • Fishwife rainbow trout
  • Rustic Bakery crackers
  • fennel pollen salami and more

In Her Words: Amy Atwood – I am a proud to be a queer woman business owner. I started Amy Atwood Selections (Cleanskins Wine LLC) in 2009 because I wanted to work with wines I love and winemakers I respect. After 15 years of working for other wine wholesalers and importers, my focus had shifted towards smaller production wineries, making wines more naturally. This means organic or sustainable farming, and little to zero intervention in the winery. And most importantly, the wines have to bring joy and be delicious to drink. Wine. Naturally.

 

A LA CArte

We are proud to have been working with Amy Atwood since 2013. She and her team connect us with the artisan wine makers and beautiful wines we share with our Narrative Food community. We are especially excited about her recent projects:

Flora Vermouth is a joint project between distiller Morgan McLachlan and Amy. Made with rosé of pinot noir from Sonoma County California, neutral grape spirit, birch bark, cacao, grapefruit peel, lemon verbena, wild cherry bark, coriander, and blue cornflower, Flora is a pleasure to enjoy with sparkling soda and a slice of orange!

So Far Out is Amy’s collaboration with winemaker and vineyard manager, Andrew Jones of Field Recordings Wine. 65% Malbec 35% Riesling.

Both are perfect companions for next week’s summer suppers.

Hands down our favorite spice sourceress Sana Javeri Kadri has done it again! Her new nutmeg is what takes the beloved peaches & crème duo to the next level and is alsom amzing in curries, ragu, spice blends, cocktails, and more! Click here for Diaspora Co.’s piece “What Does  It Means To Be A Queer Business”. 

Excerpt from Changing Season: A Father, A Daughter, A Family Farm.

NIKIKO: …ideals about gender, sex, sexuality, and race are wrapped up in who we think of as farmers. Even the “we” of that sentence matters and is worth defining; I am specifically challenging us in the United States, where we think of farmers as straight white men….I am none of these things. And I am a farmer…It is from this perspective that I believe feminism is essential to farming. We know that the nation’s population of farmers (still mostly straight white males) is aging, and as we build the next generation, we must recognize that now is the time to dismantle the concepts and structures that make it more difficult for certain types of people to fill their shoes. This includes immigrants, women, people of color, queer people, and other marginalized groups…All farmers will benefit from such dismantling, and from the re-creation that follows. Feminism is my lifeline; it is a tool I use every day as a farmer. It was forged by all the people who think I can’t do this. As I cultivate a vision of the feminist world we can create, my spirit strong and enduring, I say to the doubters, “Watch me.”

DAVID MAS: Nikiko asks me, “Are you a feminist farmer?”…Nikiko tells me she doesn’t belong and may not want to “fit” into the a narrow definition of the American farmer. As a queer woman. Of mixed race. As a worker and thinker…Now I see the connection between feminism and food: it means dismantling the meaning of what it means to be an American farmer. Nikiko is helping change the narrative, helping us to reimagine food not as a commodity but as part of a movement to construct a world where justice and equality are part of the flavor and taste of our peaches…So call me a feminist farmer, one who works to carve a place in the land and claim a space in the long line of farmers. I seek to build a new network of relationships, to celebrate differences, and to forge new identities. I want to watch, witness, and learn from the next wave.

Peaches & Creme

Ingredients

1 large or 2 small Masumoto ripe peaches, sliced

1 tbs creme fraiche

2 tsp honey

1 dash ground cinnamon

Freshly grated Diaspora Co. Anamalai nutmeg

Instructions

Mix the honey and creme fraiche in a small bowl.

Place peach slices alongside or on top of the honeyed creme fraiche.

Top with grated nutmeg.

Serve with cornbread, biscuits, or enjoy on its own!

Conjurin’ In the Kitchen: Alison Saar’s Recipes for Trouble

June 4, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

“CONJURIN’ IN THE KITCHEN

is about feel more than measurement

the syncopation of ingredients is essential

improvisation strongly encouraged”

– Alison Saar

Cooking is more than putting together a list of ingredients and following a specific recipe. It is the gathering of stories – where ingredients originated from, how they got here, who grew them (historically and present day), and the cultural context of how we learned how to use/cook them. For years, centuries even, many of these stories have been overlooked or erased from the conversation. However, over the last decade, and especially in the last few years, we have been encouraged by and embrace the shift in the whose voices are speaking out from the bookshelves and kitchens – calling for change and getting into good trouble.

Curated by our creative director B.Evy-Marie Harris, next week’s menu features summery adaptations of Alison Saar’s Recipes for Trouble alongside several recipes from Dr. Jessica B. Harris, whom you may have watched on the recently released Netflix series based on her book, High on the Hog. This menu is not only a preamble to Juneteenth*, but a digestible reflection on where we were as a community this time last year – an invitation to pause and plan how we can grow, learn and gather together for change.

Order deadline 5pm, Monday, June 7th for weekend delivery.

*Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19th to commemorated the emancipation of enslaved people in the US. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, where on that date in 1865, slaves were finally declared free, three years after the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation. 


Explore Our New Supper Kits


Borrowing words from Dr. Jessica B. Harris, okra is the connector. Know as okrum in Twi, or quin gumbo in Bantu, okra was brought from Africa to the Americas by slaves. Next weekend’s Sunday Supper Kit gives you the opportunity to choose your okra experience. Alison Saar’s Aunt Jai’s Gumbo shares ingredients with Dr. Jessica B. Harris’s Fried Chicken with Succotash – giving you both guidance and creative license to feel your way thru the kitchen and conjure something delicious for you and your household. For dessert – watermelon. If making Alison’s gumbo, check your pantry for flour, bay leaf, cayenne pepper, stock, hot sauce, rice, salt and pepper. If making Dr. Jessica B. Harris’s fried chicken and succotash, check your pantry for hot pepper, cornmeal, salt and pepper.

The Vegetarian Supper Kit  includes the ingredients for a summery adaptation of Alison’s Hoppin’ John with Good Money Greens and Black Skillet Cornbread featuring Tehachapi Grain cornmeal and Koda Farms Kokuho Rose rice. Check your pantry for flour, sugar, butter, cumin, hot sauce, baking powder, vegetable stock, smoked paprika (optional), salt and pepper.

Image: Alison Saar’s Sorrow’s Kitchen, 2020. 

 

And for nights tight on time…

Our easy to make enjoy Weeknight Supper Kit features Woon’s Homestyle Chewy Noodles with Spread the Love peanut butter, lime, garic, ginger, carrots, green onion, broccoli leaves, cilantro and hot peppers. Check your pantry for soy sauce. 

Plan a summery picnic, backyard soirée (or get cozy and watch a movie) and enjoy the Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit featuring: 

  • J.Brix Stay in Bed Red
  • Bivalve Mendoca Cheese
  • CA Coast Naturals Olives
  • Manzanita Manor Chocolate Covered Walnuts
  • Effie’s Oatcakes
  • Scout Garden Herb Pesto Tuna
  • and La Quercia Prosciutto Americano

The Vegetarian Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit skips the charcuterie and conserva but includes the option to add hummus or a spread.

A LA CArte

This week’s featured a la carte selections are inspired by the red beverages and foods enjoyed during Juneteenth. Why red? Culinary Historian Micheal Twitty says in his Afroculinaria essay Terroir Noire: African American Foodways in Slavery, Texas, “The practice of eating red foods—red cake, barbecue, punch and fruit– may owe its existence to the enslaved Yoruba and Kongo brought to Texas in the 19th century.  For both of these cultures the color red is the embodiment of spiritual power and transformation.” 

We’re busy in the kitchen making the sorrel tea found in Toni Tipton-Martin’s cookbook Jubilee using Masienda dried hibiscus (included in next weekend’s Narrative Provisions box finale) and a few of the spices in our pantry. Add some  mint, ginger, and citrus for a refreshing and delicious beverage!

Enjoy refreshing watermelon in salads, sorbets, or just sliced and enjoyed on your next picnic. 


Due to your amazing and delighful response, Harry’s Berries Mara de Bois strawberries are available for your indulgent snacking pleasure. 

New Wine and a Suggested Reading List

We are excited for the return of the refreshing collaboration between Jenny & Francois and Chris Christensen of Bodkin wine. Pop open a bottle of their lightly hazy, unfiltered Sauvignon Blanc for enjoy delicious notes of gooseberry and citrus while perusing pages from our suggested reading list (below). 

About: Chris Christensen never thought winemaking was an actual career path that people who weren’t born into a winery or vineyard could pursue, until he went on a wine tasting trip to the Sonoma Valley his Junior year at Stanford. From then on he was hooked on the idea of working at a winery. And here he still is, making wine. As an African American vintner, Chris works to promote diversity and inclusion in the wine industry through speaking engagements, podcasts and mentorship opportunities for aspiring vintners and winery owners.

Suggested Reading List

On Juneteenth, Annette Gordon-Reid

High on the Hog, Dr. Jessica B. Harris

The Cooking Gene, Michael W. Twitty

Barracoon, Zora Neale Hurston

We are Each Other’s Harvest Natalie Baszile

Claudia Rankin, Citizen

Voyage of The Sable Venus, Robin Coste Lewis

Whetstone

For the Culture

Jubilee, Toni Tipton-Martin

Narrative Provisions Boxes (Exclusive to current subscribers)

After eleven years, we are retiring our weekly Narrative Provisions boxes. Our upcoming “Conjurin’ In the Kitchen: Alison Saar’s Recipes for Trouble” menu is our grand finale. Read our founder’s letter about why were are making these changes here.  

Our Narrative Provisions boxes are filled with pasture-raised meat & eggs, curated pantry items, and local produce to make our featured recipes, but you’ll need to check your pantry for these few items found HERE.

Large Omnivore Narrative Provisions Featured Recipes:

  • Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Collard Slaw and Cornbread
  • Choose your own experience (Aunt Jai’s Gumbo or Sausages & Succotash)
  • Chicken with Sweet Potatoes & Plantain
  • Hoppin’ John Grain bowl with Good Money Greens-inspired salad
  • “Put Your Foot In It” Sweet Potato Pie
  • Juneteenth Tea

Featured Ingredients: 

  • Electric City Butcher Andouille Sausage
  • Pasturebird Chicken Leg Quarters (Wings for Small Omnivore)*
  • Keller Crafted Bacon*
  • Alexandre Family Farm Eggs
  • Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
  • Diaspora Co. Nutmeg
  • Masienda Hibiscus*
  • Koda Farms Kokuho Rose Rice*
  • Blackeyed Peas*
  • Tehachapi Grain Project Cornmeal*
  • Straus Buttermilk
  • and locally sourced produce for the above recipes*

*Included in Small Omnivore Narrative Provisions Boxes. 

Large Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Featured Recipes:

  • Choose your own experience (Aunt Jai’s Gumbo or Sausages & Succotash)
  • Hoppin’ John Grain bowl with Good Money Greens-inspired salad
  • Collard Slaw & Cornbread
  • “Put Your Foot In It” Sweet Potato Pie
  • Juneteenth Tea

Featured Ingredients: 

  • Alexandre Family Farm Eggs
  • Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
  • Diaspora Co. Nutmeg
  • Masienda Hibiscus*
  • Koda Farms Kokuho Rose Rice*
  • Blackeyed Peas*
  • Tehachapi Grain Project Cornmeal*
  • Straus Buttermilk
  • and locally sourced produce for the above recipes*

*Included in Small Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Boxes. 

à table – Jennifer’s delicious memories of the South of France 

May 28, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Harry’s Berries are the most beloved strawberries in Southern California. Their certified organic family farm is located in Oxnard, California. Established in 1967 by Harry Iwamoto, it is now operated by Harry’s daughter and son-in-law, Molly and Rick Gean.  They grow beautiful Gaviota and Seascape strawberries that have a cult following, but our favorites are their Mara Des Bois. Reminiscent of a “French Wild” Strawberry with a hint of concord grape notes, they are the essence of late spring/early summer. Perfectly red and warmed to room temperature, a small clamshell of these perfumed jewels were the muse that took Jennifer on a delicious journey down memory lane thru the South of France and inspired next weekend’s Supper Kits. Scroll down for details.

Order deadline 5pm, Monday, May 31st for weekend delivery.


Explore Our New Supper Kits

My first trip to the South of France was in 1971, when I was 8.  We stayed near Avignon, in a classic Auberge nestled beside a pasture which my brother and I joyfully discovered was full of adorable snails — my father wasted no time warning us that these cute antenaed creatures would most likely end up on someone’s plate in the Auberge dining room that night — “they’re called Escargots!”  After spending the entire dinner darting concerned glances at our neighbors’ dinner plates to see if they were really eating our snail friends, a bowlful of fresh strawberries and cream was finally placed in front of me for dessert, and my mood abruptly improved.  These were the most delicious, plump, red, juicy, messy strawberries imaginable for a little girl dressed for dinner in a white dress. My mother, to this day, still brings up my white dress permanently stained with strawberry juice! But she knew very well that there are moments in life when strawberries take over, and that’s all that matters —  and yes, we both still remember them 50 years later. 

When I lived in Europe during the mid-80’s and 90’s, I would find my way to Cannes most years, for the Film Festival.  But I wasn’t particularly interested in the Croisette or the movies, you could always find me at the farmer’s market, hunting out, amongst other things, “les Fraises des Bois” a tiny, delectable and very fragile strawberry with the sweetest aroma — Finally, in the early 2000’s, I brought my own children with me to Cannes, and introduced them to the wonders of the sculpture garden at the Maeght Foundation, strawberries and sorbet, (and of course aioli and heirloom tomatoes, basil and baby artichokes), on their first trip to the Provence.

 

Next weekend’s menus will transport you to the South of France and inspire nostalgic memories of your own.


Next weekend, treat yourself to our Sunday Supper Kit featuring Little Apple Treats Original Apple Cider Vinegar and Pasturebird Chicken. It includes the recipe and ingredients for Sara Woodward’s Roast Chicken Thighs with Lemon & Aioli  and Heirloom Tomatoes. Check your pantry for olive oil, butter (optional), salt, and pepper. 

The Vegetarian Supper Kit  features CA Coast Naturals Olive Oil and Green Olives and includes the recipe and ingredients for Herbed Farro Salad with Feta, Chickpeas, Olives & Whole Lemon Vinaigrette. Check your pantry for salt and pepper. 

And for nights tight on time…

Our Weeknight Supper Kit features Mission Rose Fresh Pasta and Creamy Tomato Sauce with Basil, Marjoram & Oregano and a side salad featuring Garden of lettuce.

Plan a summery picnic or backyard soirée and enjoy the Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit featuring: 

  • Vin de California Amethyst Field Blend
  • Cowgirl Creamery Pierce Pt.
  • Manzanita Manor Dry-Farmed Walnuts
  • M.Greenwood Jam
  • Rustic Bakery Crackers
  • Scout Lobster
  • and Charlito’s Cured Chorizo

The Vegetarian Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit skips the charcuterie and conserva but includes the option to add hummus or a spread.

A LA CArte

Experience firsthand the wonders of Harry’s Berries Mara de Bois Strawberries . 

Inspired by the famed Proust’s memory inducing treats, we are excited to welcome Pagnol Boulanger’s new pastries:

  • Lavender Honey Madelines
  • Bread Pudding
  • Lemon Tart
  • Flourless Chocolate Torte
  • and Lemon Poppyseed Cookies 

Narrative Provisions Boxes (Exclusive to current subscribers)

Our Narrative Provisions boxes are filled with pasture-raised meat & eggs, curated pantry items, and local produce to make our featured recipes, but you’ll need to check your pantry for these few items found HERE.

Large Omnivore Narrative Provisions Featured Recipes:

  • Roast Chicken with Lemon & Aioli with Heirloom Tomatoes*
  • Fennel Marinated Pork & Crushed Potatoes
  • Chicken with Mushroom Sauce & Roasted Vegetables
  • Frisee Salad with Poached Eggs & Mustard Vinaigrette*
  • Herbed Farro Salad with Olives & Whole Lemon Vinaigrette

Featured Ingredients: 

  • Rancho Llano Seco Pork Chops
  • Pasturebird Chicken Thighs* & Breasts
  • Alexandre Family Farm Eggs*
  • Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
  • Harry’s Berries Mara de Bois Strawberries
  • CA Coast Naturals Green Olives
  • Farro
  • Creme Fraiche
  • Bub & Grandma’s Baguette*
  • Manzanita Manor Dry-Farmed Walnuts
  • and locally sourced produce for the above recipes*

*Included in Small Omnivore Narrative Provisions Boxes. 

Large Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Featured Recipes:

  • Lemon & Aioli with Heirloom Tomatoes
  • Frisee Salad with Poached Eggs & Mustard Vinaigrette
  • Herbed Farro Salad with Olives & Whole Lemon Vinaigrette

Featured Ingredients: 

  • Alexandre Family Farm Eggs*
  • Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
  • Harry’s Berries Mara de Bois Strawberries
  • CA Coast Naturals Green Olives*
  • Farro*
  • Artisan Cheese 
  • Bub & Grandma’s Baguette
  • Manzanita Manor Dry-Farmed Walnuts
  • M.Greenwood Mustard*
  • and locally sourced produce for the above recipes*

*Included in Small Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Boxes. 

A New Chapter for Narrative Food

May 19, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Dear Narrative Food Community,  We are very excited to present our new box options. Hopefully you have read the letter from our founder, and are already familiar with the exciting news about our new products. If not, and you’d like to read it, please find it HERE.  

Details about our new format:

We have essentially broken our big provisions boxes down into modules that can be built together to offer an experience with Narrative Food that is more customized to the unique needs of your family. To serve as a the foundation of the week, we have supper boxes that are designed to be more like meal kits.  As always, our meal kits will be centered around a culinary creative, cookbook, theme, or artisan so that you can still experience that connection to the compelling stories behind great food. The specific options are outlined below.  After you choose your meal kits, we invite you to add on the right amount of other weekly staples for your family: a produce box filled with the abundance California has to offer, a weekly fruit selection, a butcher’s bundle, or our *new* plant-based protein bundle, and a selection of basics we know you already love: bread, milk, eggs, and more. Of course, you can always shop a la carte to add one-time tasty items to your cart, or to add recurring items you love to have each week. (Ex.Jennifer has a Bub & Grandma’s sourdough loaf set on recurring every week!) 

Do you prefer to do your own thing? 

We love our #mealkitrebels! You like to do your own thing and freestyle in the kitchen. You have a few options: (1) Feel free to choose from our produce and meat selections to build an entirely a la carte box from our marketplace (2) Get a supper kit but don’t feel constrained by the recipes! You can still enjoy the beautiful ingredients and incredible artisan pantry items the you’d like to.  

STEP ONE: CHOOSE YOUR SUPPER KIT

For nights when you have time to cook and for the folks who enjoyed the curated themes of our Narrative Provisions boxes. These individual supper boxes change weekly to explore different cuisines, to celebrate a holiday, cookbook release, theme, or local culinary creative!


The Sunday Supper Kit ($75) feeds 4 – or, 2 with leftovers! The box is inspired by our weekly narrative and includes a recipe card, organic and locally sourced produce, pasture-raised butcher cut meat from our friends at Electric City Butcher, and thoughtfully sourced small-batch ingredients covering the gamut from Diaspora Co. single-origin spices to PNW wild-forage morels, Santa Monica Farmers Market favorites, as well as new and beloved local makers you will be excited to enjoy. 

The Vegetarian Supper Kit ($70) feeds 4 – or, 2 with leftovers. A generous vegetarian meal including elements which could be split into two lighter meals. Also featuring carefully chosen ingredients paired with a recipe card, this meal will share the same theme as the Sunday Supper Kit and feature specialty items that you will love – and that will love back our soil health and community. And for nights tight on time…

The new Weeknight Supper Kit ($50) feeds 2 adults+ and is a 4-week rotation of quick, fun, family-friendly vegetarian meals with elements from some of our favorite local makers. If you add on a butcher’s bundle, one of your meat selections will pair well with the week’s meal:

  • Week 1:Lupa Cotta Pizza Night
  • Week 2: Taco Night with Tehachapi Grain Project flour tortillas
  • Week 3: Handmade Mission Rose fresh pasta
  • Week 4: Woon Kitchen Noodles, Sandita’s Dumplings, or Rice Stir Fry


The new Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit ($110) is an indulgent pleasure to take outside on a lovely evening, and just nibble the night away in the candlelight – or dwell around your kitchen table telling stories. And yes, we are calling this supper for the night! It includes:

  • a bottle of natural CA wine 
  • a beautiful cheese from an artisan dairy
  • a box of crackers
  • olives, nuts, or pickles
  • an artisan charcuterie item
  • conserva 
  • a sweet treat (jam, honey, chocolate)


The Vegetarian Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kit ($90) skips the charcuterie and conserva but includes the option to add hummus or a spread. 

STEP TWO: CHOOSE YOUR PRODUCE SELECTIONS


Choose from our rotating a la carte produce selections and bundles, or add on a Fruit Bowl to your order.  STEP THREE: CHOOSE YOUR PROTEIN BUNDLES 

Choose from our Butcher Bundle (renamed from our Medium Meat Selection), our brand new Plant-based Protein Bundle ($39), and other proteins like, eggs, milk, cheese, etc. You can set any of these items to weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or one-off orders. 

STEP FOUR: CHOOSE YOUR BEST-SELLING BASICS

Choose your favorites from our best-seller, at the frequency that’s right for your household, and then shop a la carte for any additional items. Don’t forget the wine!) 

Narrative Food founder Jennifer Field Piette celebrating and enjoying one of our new Wine & Grazing Board Supper Kits with creative director B.Evy-Marie H.Yarde. 

A Letter From Narrative Food Founder Jennifer Field Piette

May 18, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box

Dear Narrative Food Community,  Our signature Narrative Provisions Box is the produce that inspired me to found this company and that I’ve personally received every single week, since the very first week we delivered in July 2010! These boxes have celebrated diverse food stories, and the best ingredients we could source for you to cook the recipes, working with an extended family of makers and growers to create a unique weekly experience. While the curation of these boxes has led us on an amazing culinary journey, these are involved, big boxes of food and we’ve come to recognize  that at times if feels daunting to make use of everything in the box in the course of a week.  So this year, for the first time since 2010, we started reimagining how we could create a slightly different experience that would be more manageable for busy lives, and better meet the needs of you, our customers and friends. And we’d like to share that vision with you, and the things we took into account while reimagining our signature product: 

  1. We wanted you to experience the abundance and beauty of all of our farm partners and favorite artisans without the overwhelm.
  2. We knew we needed to meet the diverse needs of your different families by giving you more options to build a box just for you.
  3. We wanted to connect you to the creatives and artisans we love through new recipes and stories, without such a large time commitement of five full new recipes.
  4. We wanted time and energy to focus on bringing you exclusive artisan products and an increased array of fresh produce options so that Narrative Food is always making it easy for you to get the best of the best.

With these considerations in mind, we made the difficult decision to distill the best parts of the Provisions Boxes into new, smaller bundles. Our individual Supper Kits – still curated around a favorite culinary creative, maker, or theme – will be complemented by a series of smaller “module” boxes so you can build them into just the right balance of cooking an ease, for your particular household and schedule. Other “modules” you can add into your box include additional supper kits or easy weeknight meal kits, protein and plant-based protein bundles, produce boxes, and the additional fruit options we know you love.  We will be phasing out our Large and Small Narrative Provisions Boxes over the next three weeks, with our final Narrative Provisions boxes landing on doorsteps June 12th & 13th. For details, click HERE. Thank you so much for being with us for the ride, and we are excited to hear back from you about how you like our new approach. Please feel free to reach out to me directly with any feedback or concerns you might have about the changes! On a personal note, I have had a Narrative Provisions box in my kitchen every single week for the past 11 years. I am my oldest customer and indeed it’s hard to imagine a life beyond the box. Though I will miss them, I am also very excited about the changes and trying something new! I hope you will be too.  Warmly, Jennifer Field Piette

AAPI Heritage Month

May 12, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes

Our upcoming Narrative Provisions boxes were created to honor Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage month. Featuring delicious ingredients and recipes from Sonoko Sakai, Julie and Keegan Fong of Woon Kitchen and Sandy Ho of Sandita’s, this menu is a small snapshot of the enriching contributions Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans have made and continue to make to our community food narrative – past, present and future.

Order Deadline: 5p, Monday, May 17th

ORDER YOUR PROVISIONS BOX — DELIVERY May 22nd & 23rd

Featured Recipes

  • Sandita’s  Pork & Kimchi Dumpling Kit
  • Japanese Tofu Curry with Rice
  • Lazy Noodle Stir Fry with Woon Noodles, Garden of Veggies & Llano Seco Ground Pork
  • Soy & Ginger Lost Coast Beef with Coconut Rice
  • Garden of Salad with Peanut Dressing 

Featured Ingredients

Sandita’s Pork & Kimchi Dumpling Kit (Large Omnivore Only) What started out as a backyard dinner series founded by Sandy Ho became a delicious way to share food and story by way of dumplings. Sandita’s donates a portion of their proceeds to the Center for the Pacific Asian Family – an organization that builds healthy and safe spaces within the Asian and Pacific Islander communities against domestic violence and sexual assault. They are committed to providing resources and services that meet specific cultural and language needs to support women and families in API communities. (Sandita’s Vegetarian Dumpling Kits are available HERE.)

Woon Kitchen’s Chewy Noodles – Woon began as a family run pop-up born from a desire to share their mother’s (Mama Fong) original Chinese comfort food. They offer a simple menu influenced by Shanghainese and Cantonese recipes. Their first brick and mortar space is located in Historic Filipinotown. Read the recent article “Woon’s Mother-Son Team on Facing Cancer, COVID-19, and Asian Hate” about Julie and Keenan Fong HERE.

Sonoko’s Curry Powder + Note from Sonoko “I couldn’t find anything in the market that was simple, healthy, and environmentally conscious, so I started working on my own curry spice blend. The earliest version of this curry powder appeared in my cookbook, Japanese Home Cooking. Since then it’s been put to the test over and over again, then carefully adjusted in the search for a perfect balance of warmth, earthiness, umami, heat, and sweetness…May it fill your kitchens with the nostalgic, mouth-watering aroma it fills mine with.” (While Sonoko’s curry powder is included in our Narrative Provisions boxes, you can make your own curry brick with her kit found HERE.)

Additional Ingredients

  • Lost Coast Beef Kebab
  • Llano Seco Ground Pork
  • Alexandre Family Farms Certified Regenerative Eggs
  • Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
  • Peanuts
  • Jasmine Rice
  • Coconut Milk
  • Hodo Tofu
  • Locally sourced produce for the above recipes and more!

Large Omnivore Narrative Provisions boxes for all five featured recipes

Large Vegetarian Narrative Provisions boxes for Japanese Tofu Curry with Rice, Lazy Noodle Stir Fry with Woon Noddles & Garden of Veggies, and Garden of Salad with Peanut Dressing

Small Omnivore Narrative Provisions boxes for Soy & Ginger Beef Satay with Coconut Rice and Garden of Salad with Peanut Dressing

Small Vegetarian Narrative Provisions box for Japanese Tofu Curry and Garden of Salad with Peanut Dressing

Our Narrative Provisions boxes are filled with pasture-raised meat & eggs, curated pantry items, and local produce to make our featured recipes, but you’ll need to check your pantry for a few items. For our upcoming AAPI Heritage Narrative Provisions box, check your pantry for: butter or ghee, coconut oil, chicken stock,  honey, soy sauce, and coriander.

Shop Our Pantry

 

In Our Community 

Three dollars from every Narrative Provisions box will be donated to API Forward Movement – an organization that ensures APIs are served and represented in efforts to address a range of community health and environmental justice issues.  We learned about them from our friend Jess Wang (she curated this year’s Lunar New Year Narrative Provisions boxes) who is supporting them with her upcoming Community Cultures: Citrus Surplus Situation workshop on May 22nd. 

We encourage you to learn more about Forward API and CPAF’s mission and ways to support their incredible organizations! If you have the means to do so please consider donating directly to them.

 

Simple Spring Suppers

April 13, 2021 Filed Under: Recipes

Order Deadline: 5p, Monday, April 19th

ORDER YOUR PROVISIONS BOX — DELIVERY April 24th & 25th

Our upcoming Narrative Provisions boxes include simple spring suppers to enjoy with your family, as well as a special treat for movie night! 

Featured Recipes

Sheet Pan Chicken with Broccolini, Radicchio and Parsley Salsa Verde

Turkey Burgers and New Potato Salad with English Peas

Earth Bean Coffee Rubbed Steak with Grilled Asparagus and Parsley Salsa Verde

Japanese Sweet Potato Soup with Herbs

Mission Rose Pasta with Cauliflower, Saffron, Pepper Flakes, and Parsley

Finley Farms Popcorn with Jacobsen x Diaspora Co. Turmeric Popcorn Seasoning

Peas with Baked Ricotta & Bread Crumbs

Featured Ingredients

Chef Michael Glazer started making fresh pasta for his small restaurant, the original Pasta 101, back in 1998 when he was experimenting with new flavor variations for family and friends. That circle of family and friends widened and has included our Narrative Food community since 2012. Mission Rose pastas are a beautiful example of how simple ingredients can be transformed with care into a delicious meal to share with your family. This week we will be enjoying his pasta with cauliflower, fresh herbs, and saffron. (If you’ve used all of your saffron from our recent Nowruz box, it’s available HERE.)

Movie nights will never be the same! We are loving Jacobsen’s popcorn seasoning – it’s a bright and earthy mix of their Trapani fine sea salt with Diaspora Co. fragrant heirloom, single-origin Pragati turmeric. Sprinkle it on Finley Farms popcorn for a quick and easy snack.  For folks with a sweet tooth, sprinkle a little sugar into the oil while you’re popping your corn for easy kettle corn vibes. 

Earth Bean Coffee, founded by Joan and David LeClerc in 2016, was born out of love – a love for organic products, a love for their positive impacts, and their own love (they coffee shop hopped a lot while they were dating). They have been a part of the Narrative Food community ever since! 

Additional Featured Ingredients

Pasturebird Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

Electric City Butcher Flat Iron Steak

Ferndale Ground Turkey

Alexandre Family Farms Eggs

Narrative Fresh-Squeezed Orange Juice

Finley Farm Popcorn

Bellwether Ricotta Cheese

and locally sourced produce for the above recipes

 

Our Narrative Provisions boxes are filled with pasture-raised meat & eggs, curated pantry items, and local produce to make our featured recipes, but you’ll need to check your pantry for a few items.

Shop our Pantry

 

Large Omnivore Narrative Provisions Boxes for the first 6 recipes. 

Large Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Boxes for:

  • Broccolini & Radicchio with Parsley Salsa Verde,
  • Japanese Sweet Potato Soup with Herbs, Mission Rose Pasta with Cauliflower, 
  • Finley Farms Popcorn with Jacobsen x Diaspora Co. Turmeric Popcorn Seasoning
  • Peas with Baked Ricotta & Bread Crumbs

Small Omnivore Narrative Provisions Boxes for:

  • Turkey Burgers and New Potato Salad with English Peas
  • Mission Rose Pasta with Cauliflower

Small Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Boxes for:

  • Japanese Sweet Potato Soup with Herbs, Mission Rose Pasta with Cauliflower
  • Peas with Baked Ricotta & Bread Crumbs

 

Provençale Box

March 10, 2020 Filed Under: Past Boxes, Stories, This Week's Box, This Week's Recipes

Our upcoming box is another favorite from our archives, curated by Jennifer’s friend Lisa Lemkin whose simple yet elegant weeknight friendly recipes make staying home and cooking dinner a delight. 
Order Your Narrative Provisions Box – Delivery Sunday, March 22nd

Order Deadline: Noon Tuesday, March 17th. 

ABOUT THIS BOX

I am from Aix-en-Provence in the South of France where lavender, grapes and olive trees are everywhere. I was lucky enough to have a beautiful childhood and inspiring grandparents who lived on an amazing vineyard outside of Aix, in the Provençale countryside.

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Not realizing the gift that they gave me at the time, I have held on to all those memories and recipes that I grew up with…

In Provence, the food is simple, and we eat a lot of it! There are no diets or restrictions because when you use real ingredients, they are all good for you.

Pork chops, simply grilled with lemon juice, or salad – these are some of the everyday recipes I make for my family of four little boys. As a busy mom, I can’t spend hours in the kitchen at night cooking dinner. So the ingredients are good, fresh, simple, and I don’t do too much to them. Just the way we like it in France. I hope this meal plan will help you get inspired in the kitchen!

Bon appétit! 

BOX PLAYLIST

A Playlist of some of our favorite French music, to get you in the mood.

 

BOX RECIPES

  • Pork Chops with Sage and Cauliflower Gratin
  • Baby Broccoli Pasta with Sausage
  • Chicken with Cream Mushroom Sauce with Side of Roasted Potatoes, Carrots, Onions
  • Frisee Salad with Poached Egg and Mustard Vinaigrette
  • Green Grain Salad
  • Avocado and Grapefruit Salad
  • Cream of Mushroom Soup with Veggies & Wild Rice

BOX DETAILS

Large Omnivore Narrative Provisions Box for all the first six recipes, plus additional staples and fruit. 

Large Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Box for Green Grain Salad, Frisee Salad with Poached Egg and Mustard Vinaigrette, Cauliflower Gratin, Avocado and Grapefruit Salad, Baby Broccoli Pasta, Cream of Mushroom Soup with Veggies & Wild Rice, plus additional staples and fruit

Small Omnivore Narrative Provisions Box for Green Grain Salad  and Pork Chop paired with Frisee Salad with Poached Egg and Mustard Vinaigrette

Small Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Box for Green Grain Salad, Frisee Salad with Poached Egg and Mustard Vinaigrette

For Inez – “The Original Innovators”

February 18, 2020 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box, Upcoming Recipes

“For more than 400 years, Black cooks have shaped American cuisine. In honor of that legacy, a team of writers and chefs joined forces to offer a celebration of African American creativity, strength and innovation, as told through six ingredients essential to the African American experience…”

– introduction to “The Original Innovators,” curated by Dr. Jessica B. Harris and photographed by Oriana Koren.

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, February 25th

ORDER YOUR PROVISIONS BOX — DELIVERY 3/1

Our upcoming Narrative Provisions box is a celebration of the intersection of Black History Month and Women’s History month (and B. Evy-Marie’s solar return) with ingredients and a printed copy of Food & Wine’s Innovators issue to cook up recipes and experience the beauty of this spread in living color.

More details to follow.

The Original Innovators sharing the table with Toni-Tipton Martin’s Jubilee, Robin Coste Lewis’s Voyage of the Sable Venus and Inhabitants & Visitors, Korsha Wilson’s essay Surviving Pending Revolution found in Charlotte Druckman’s anthology Women on Food and Zora Neale Hurston’s Barracoon. For more, visit our previous post, Edna Lewis & For the Culture HERE.

This Narrative Provisions box is dedicated to B.Evy-Marie’s paternal grandmother, Inez Yarde.

The Moorish Box

January 14, 2020 Filed Under: Past Boxes, Recipes, Stories

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, January 21st

ORDER YOUR NARRATIVE PROVISIONS BOX — DELIVERY Sunday, January 26th 

ABOUT THIS BOX

We took some inspiration from four of our favorite cookbooks to create a box of Moorish influence — Sam & Sam Clark’s Moro Cookbook, Claudia Roden’s classic A New Book of Middle Eastern Food, and two of Ottolenghi’s beautiful books: Jerusalem and Plenty. Inspired by the cuisine of North Africa, Spain, and the Middle East, this meal plan celebrates the Mediterranean flavors that grow so well in California, and are cozy and rustic too. We hope you enjoy these flavors as much as we do — and we are featuring locally made Harissa paste, to help really set the scene. 

BOX RECIPES

  • Moro’s Roast Chicken with Harissa & Patata Brava

  • Jerusalem Chicken Thighs with Sunchoke & Lemon

  • Ottolenghi’s Cannellini Bean & Beef Soup

  • Ultimate Winter Couscous from Plenty

  • Claudia Roden’s Leek Eggah

  • Potato Kugel
  • Vegetarian Mediterranean White Bean Soup
  • Sunchokes Galore from Serious Eats

Large Omnivore Narrative Provisions Boxes for Roast Chicken with Harissa, Jerusalem Chicken Thighs with Sunchoke, Ottolenghi’s Cannellini Bean & Beef Soup, Ultimate Winter Couscous, and the Leek Eggah, plus additional staples and fruit

Large Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Boxes for the Ultimate Winter Couscous, Leek Eggah, Potato Kugel, Vegetarian White Bean Soup, ingredients to try out some of the Sunchoke Ideas from Serious Eats, and additional staples and fruit

Small Omnivore Narrative Provisions Boxes for the Roast Chicken with the Ultimate Winter Couscous and the Leek Eggah

Small Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Boxes for the Ultimate Winter Couscous and the Leek Eggah

 

The Kitchen Miracle Box

December 31, 2019 Filed Under: Past Boxes, Recipes, Stories, This Week's Box, This Week's Recipes

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, January 7th

ORDER YOUR NARRATIVE PROVISIONS BOX — DELIVERY SUNDAY 1/12 3-9PM 

ABOUT THIS BOX
We are excited to be working on a new collaboration ( late winter/early spring 2020) with the lovely  Jules Blaine Davis, but in the interim, we are cooking from a menu in our archives that she curated in 2017.

Jules calls herself a ‘Kitchen Healer’ because she’s all about supporting people to cook the simplest, most delicious foods as part of a busy life. We love her poetic spirit and energy. 

Check out Jules’ recent #FoodNarrativeFriday story HERE. 

BOX RECIPES

  • Roasted Chicken with Garlic, Parsley & Citrus, Roasted Carrots
  • Sautéed Fajita Strip with Cumin on a bed of Sautéed Fennel, Green Garlic and Kale
  • Rustic Bolognese
  • Winter Citrus Salad
  • Egg & Veggie Love Fest
  • Pasta with Pistachio Pesto
  • Roasted Vegetables and Shaved Fennel
  • Broccolini with Lemon and Cheese

BOX DETAILS

Large Omnivore Narrative Provisions Boxes for the Roasted Chicken, Sauteed Fajita Strip, Rustic Bolognese, Winter Citrus Salad, and the Egg & Veggie Love Fest, plus additional staples and fruit

Large Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Boxes for Winter Citrus Salad,  Egg & Veggie Love Fest, Pasta with Pistachio Pesto, Roasted Vegetables and Shaved Fennel, and Broccolini with Lemon and Cheese plus additional staples and fruit

Small Omnivore Narrative Provisions Boxes for the Winter Citrus Salad and the Egg & Veggie Love Fest with Fajita Strip plus additional staples and fruit

Small Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Boxes for the Winter Citrus Salad and the Egg & Veggie Love Fest plus additional staples and fruit

Cozy Time Box

November 26, 2019 Filed Under: Kitchen Boxes, Meat Meals, Past Boxes

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, December 3rd 

ORDER YOUR NARRATIVE PROVISIONS BOX — DELIVERY SUNDAY 12/8 3-9PM 

ABOUT THIS BOX

A heart-warming selection of simple to prepare late autumn recipes – one of which features a delicious heirloom squash grown by Barbara and Bill of Windrose Farm. Enjoy being cozy!

BOX RECIPES

  • Pork Chops with Green Beans and an Apple and Roasted Beet Salsa
  • Roasted Chicken, Honey Glazed Parsnips, Roast Potatoes, Braised Greens
  • Erik’s Mom’s Meatloaf
  • Winter Squash, Brown Butter and Sage Pasta
  • Roasted Root Vegetable Quiche
  • Potato Latkes with Apple-Pear Sauce
  • Beet and Orange Salad with Shaved Fennel
  • Parsnip, Celery Root, and Ginger Soup

Large Omnivore Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for the  Pork Chops with Green Beans and an Apple and Roasted Beet Salsa, Roasted Chicken, Honey Glazed Parsnips, Roast Potatoes, and Braised Greens, Erik’s Mom’s Meatloaf, Windrose Farm Heirloom Squash, Brown Butter and Sage Pasta, and Roasted Root Vegetable Quiche, plus additional staples and fruit.

Large Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for Windrose Farm Heirloom Squash, Brown Butter and Sage Pasta, Roasted Root Vegetable Quiche, Potato Latkes with Apple-Pear Sauce, Beet and Orange Salad with Shaved Fennel and Parsnip, Celery Root, and Ginger Soup, plus additional staples and fruit.

Small Omnivore Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for Windrose Farm Heirloom Squash, Brown Butter and Sage Pasta with Roasted Chicken and Roasted Root Vegetable Quiche.

Small Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for Windrose Farm Heirloom Squash, Brown Butter and Sage Pasta and Roasted Root Vegetable Quiche.

Bonnie’s Box

October 29, 2019 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box, Upcoming Recipes

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, November 5th.

Click Here to Order Your Narrative Provisions Box for Delivery Sunday, November 10th between 3-9PM*.

Here’s another fun meal plan from the archives!

Bonnie Stoilkovich of Zuma Organic has been cooking and teaching cooking for almost 20 years. She loves to encourage people to learn simple, carefree meals, that are not only healthy and delicious but easy-peasy as well!

Box Recipes

Scroll down to view recipe ingredients.

Dairy-Free Pesto Pasta

Cucumber Salad (paired with broiled fish for omnivores)

Baba Ghanoush with Pita

Slow-cooker beans (paired with bacon for omnivores)

Easy Meatloaf with Roasted Potatoes

Large Omnivore Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for all of the recipes, plus additional staples and fruit.

Large Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for Dairy-Free Pesto Pasta, Cucumber Salad, Baba Ghanoush with Pita, Slow-cooker beans along with ingredients for a meal of your own design, as well as additional staples and fruit.

Small Omnivore Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for Dairy-Free Pesto Pasta and Baba Ghanoush with Pita & Steak as well as additional staples and fruit.

Small Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for Dairy-Free Pesto Pasta and Baba Ghanoush with Pita as well as additional staples and fruit.

Dairy-Free Pesto

2 large handfuls of fresh lemon basil
2 cups raw walnuts
2 garlic cloves
1 cup olive oil
1/3 cup water
salt & pepper

In a Vitamix or food processor, add the above ingredients and blend until the desired consistency. Pour over pasta, and serve with salad. It can also be used as a spread or dip.

Cucumber Salad

Mix together the following and let it sit for an hour:
1 cucumber – peeled & sliced thin
1 tomato, seeds removed – chopped
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs vinegar (Umi plum or apple cider)
salt & pepper to taste

Baba Ghanoush with Pita

2 large eggplants
2 garlic cloves
tahini
juice of a lemon
salt & pepper to taste

Everything can be adjusted in this recipe to get it to taste exactly the way you want. More garlic, more eggplant, whatever…
Heat your oven to broil and place the eggplants (whole) on a cookie sheet. Char the outside of the eggplants until they deflate. Turn them frequently with tongs. This will take 10-15 minutes. Place them in a large bowl and cover with a kitchen towel for 30 minutes. Peel off the skin and place the “meat” in a food processor (or chop fine).
Add the garlic, tahini, lemon juice, salt & pepper either to the food processor (and blend until smooth) or mix into eggplant by hand.
Serve with pita triangles.

Slow-cooker beans

½ lb. beans
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 medium onion – rough chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 chopped tomato
½ cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 ½ cups water

Put the following ingredients into a slow cooker on HIGH for 2-3 hours. Or simmer on low heat for an hour or two in a pot. Add 1 teaspoon of coarse salt AFTER the beans are finished (the salt will otherwise affect the way the beans cook)!

Easy Meatloaf with Roasted Potatoes

1 lb. ground beef
2 tomatoes – diced small
2 eggs
½ cup oats
handful of chopped Marjoram & Basil
1 onion – chopped fine
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the meatloaf ingredients in a large bowl. Place on top of a foil-lined cookie sheet sprayed with coconut oil or canola oil. Shape into a two-inch high loaf and coat the top with ketchup or smashed tomatoes, to create a savory topping that’s gooey and delicious when done baking. Cook uncovered, for about 30-40 minutes. The internal temperature should read 160 degrees when you remove it from the oven. Let the loaf sit for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Place the potatoes in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil, salt & pepper to taste, 1 sprig rosemary, chopped Syrian Marjoram, 3 cloves whole garlic. Pour it all out onto a baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 375 degrees, until potatoes are crispy and tender. Serve Meatloaf with Roast Potatoes and a tossed salad.

Ayda’s Comfort Food Box

October 22, 2019 Filed Under: Recipes, Upcoming Box, Upcoming Recipes

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, October 29th.

Click Here to Order Your Narrative Provisions Box for Delivery Sunday, November 3rd between 3-9PM*.

*Office Boxes are delivered Monday 11/4 during business hours.  

Our upcoming Narrative Provisions box is a favorite from the archives, curated by chef & food stylist Ayda Robana (previously of Om Sweet Mama). Her personal food narrative and recipes are informed by her North African roots, time spent growing up on the East Coast, her life here in Southern California and so much more.

BOX RECIPES 

  • Beef Mushroom Stroganoff & Garlicky Kale
  • Rigatoni with Tomato Sauce and Green Salad
  • Rosemary Grilled Lamb Chops with Honeyed Carrots & Quinoa Tabbouleh
  • Orange Roast Chicken with Moroccan Roasted Cauliflower
  • Market Veggie Frittata

Large Omnivore Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for all of the recipes, plus additional staples and fruit.

Large Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for Mushrooms & Garlicky Kale, Rigatoni with Tomato Sauce and Green Salad, Honeyed Carrots & Quinoa Tabbouleh, Moroccan Roasted Cauliflower as well as Market Veggie Frittata alongside additional staples and fruit.

Small Omnivore Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for Beef Mushroom Stroganoff & Garlicky Kale and the Market Veggie Frittata as well as some fruit.

Small Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients Mushrooms & Garlicky Kale and the Market Veggie Frittata as well as some fruit.

Photo of Ayda courtesy of AydaRobana.com

Resonant Valley Recipes inspired by José Montoya

October 15, 2019 Filed Under: Kitchen Boxes, Meat Meals, Recipes, Soups, Salads and Sides, Sweets

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, October 22nd

ORDER YOUR NARRATIVE PROVISIONS BOX — DELIVERY SUNDAY 10/27 3-9PM*

*Office Boxes are delivered Monday during business hours.  

This box was originally created in collaboration with UCLA’s Fowler Museum exhibition (Feb 2016-July 2016) which featured artist, poet, and activist José Montoya (1932-2013). A Chicano activist, poet, artist, intellectual, professor, and musician, he often found inspiration in the verdant fields of the San Joaquin Valley where his family arrived from New Mexico in the 1940s looking for work.

José Montoya’s Abundant Harvest retrospective at the Fowler museum included works on paper that were displayed in nearly 100 boxes placed in rows reminiscent of grapevines and trays that used to hold grapes – the fruit that would become the symbol of the farmworkers’ struggle in the 1960s.  

In honor of Montoya, his tireless support of Cesar Chavez’s United Farm Workers movement (and in time for Dia de Los Muertos), we are happy to continue sharing this box of locally and sustainably grown food celebrating Chicano culture here in Southern California. 

Related to this box is a #FoodNarrativeFriday video featuring Eat Less Water’s Florencia Ramirez and her father telling the story of his childhood harvesting grapes. Click HERE to watch.

WHY THIS BOX?

We have recipes (see below) and ingredients from Wes Avila of Guerrilla Tacos to cook Sweet Potato Tortillas. From Gilberto Cetina of Chichen Itza Restaurant, we have ingredients and a recipe for Ceviche. From Carlos Salgado of Taco Maria, we have a recipe for Salsa Negra. And last but not least, we have a Carne Asada recipe from Roy Choy, just to put a multi-cultural spin on things.

WHAT’S INSIDE?

Local grass-fed carne asada, queso fresco, a variety of chilis, piloncillo (evaporated cane sugar), fresh, local organic produce from our favorite farmers, and recipes from local chefs to prepare a variety of Mexicali meals.

BOX RECIPES 

  • Carne Asada & Pico de Gallo
  • Ceviche by Gilberto Cetina
  • Chicken Legs with Salsa Negra by Carlos Salgado
  • Sweet Potato Tacos by Wes Avila
  • Cherimoya Custard Cups (or a Guava Dessert)
  • Chilaquiles
  • Quesadillas with Tomatillo-Garlic Sauce and Grilled Onion
  • Calabaza en Tacha (Candied Pumpkin)

Large Omnivore Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for Carne Asada & Pico de Gallo, Ceviche, Chicken Legs, Sweet Potato Tacos, and Calabaza en Tacha, plus additional staples and fruit.

Large Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for the Sweet Potato Tacos, Chilaquiles, Calabaza en Tacha, Quesadillas with Tomatillo-Garlic Sauce and Grilled Onion, ingredients for an additional meal, as well as pantry staples and fruit.

Small Omnivore Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for the Carne Asada and the Calabaza en Tacha. 

Small Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for the Sweet Potato Tacos and the Calabaza en Tacha. 

Listen to poet, novelist, and scholar Maceo Montoya read José Montoya’s 1969 poem “Resonant Valley” here, or read Richard Montoya’s “Essay for An Ese” here. 

ORDER YOUR NARRATIVE PROVISIONS BOX — DELIVERY SUNDAY 10/27 3-9PM*

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, October 22nd

 

 

Falling into Fall

October 1, 2019 Filed Under: Kitchen Boxes, Meat Meals, Soups, Salads and Sides

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, October 8th

ORDER YOUR CULINARY INSPIRATIONS BOX — DELIVERY 3-9PM Sunday 10/13

ABOUT THIS BOX

Blankets are being brought out of the closet, pomegranate trees are hanging heavy with fruit and pumpkin patches are full. This menu plan is designed to highlight the best of early autumn.

WHY THIS BOX?

Our Falling into Fall Box includes Winter Squash, Pappardelle, Crème Fraîche, Pearl Barley, Sausages and lovely autumn produce from Pomegranates to Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans and Rainbow Chard.

BOX RECIPES

  • Chicken Sausage and Sweet Potato Wedges with Lemongrass Crème Fraîche
  • Korean Short Ribs & Sauteed Veggies
  • Pappardelle w/ Pork Sugo
  • Barley & Pomegranate Salad with Roasted Winter Squash
  • Chard Omelettes & Green Salad

Large Omnivore Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for all the recipes, plus additional staples and fruit.

Large Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for the Barley & Pomegranate Salad, Chard Omelettes, Sweet Potato Wedges with Lemongrass Crème Fraîche as well as the ingredients for a meal or two of your own invention, plus additional fruit and pantry staples.

Small Omnivore Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for the Korean Short Ribs and Chard Omelettes.

Small Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for the Barley & Pomegranate Salad and the Chard Omelettes.

ORDER YOUR NARRATIVE PROVISIONS BOX — DELIVERY 3-9PM Sunday 10/13

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, October 8th

San Luis Obispo Farmers’ Market Cookbook Box

September 24, 2019 Filed Under: Past Boxes, Recipes

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, October 1st 

ORDER YOUR NARRATIVE PROVISIONS BOX — DELIVERY 3–9PM SUNDAY, 10/6

ABOUT THIS BOX

San Luis Obispo (SLO) is home to 20 weekly farmers’ markets, creating a vibrant local food scene of rich cheeses, meats, fish, bread and produce. It’s also fertile ground for chefs, small-batch food makers, restaurateurs, and cookbook writers who come together to continue the creative journey of cooking. Narrative Food has curated an inspirational box for food lovers who want a simple meal experience to reflect the SLOcal bounty of both food and people coming together to create culinary magic.

Our farmers’ market hero in the SLOcal space is Kendra Aronson. She brings her unique voice to the kitchen. The writer and publisher of “San Luis Obispo Farmers’ Market Cookbook: Simple Seasonal Recipes & Short Stories from the Central Coast of California”, Aronson has compiled a collection of recipes, many by the folks in the community, to showcase the local ingredients that are in several signature dishes from Southern and Central California. The Santa Maria-style Tri-Tip with Pinquito beans, featured in our box and Aronson’s cookbook, is one such local specialty that puts pure heart and soul – and classic Central California flavor – onto your dinner plate.

WHY THIS BOX?

Who doesn’t want to support a food and farming community and culture that is this colorful, bountiful and delicious? When we share our cookbook secrets, we all grow that much closer to the beauty of local and less commercial, handmade and less machine manufactured, intimate and less impersonal. We support a local food economy with seasonal produce that’s best for our health and well-being. By enjoying this box, you may also feel inclined to explore Kendra’s glorious cookbook full of stunning stories and recipes — from Grilled Sausage, Poached Eggs, & Hasselblad Potatoes with Pistachio Pesto to Apple Tartlets.

WHAT’S INSIDE?

Autumn is here, and this box will put you in the midst of multiple colors and a change of palate. You’ll enjoy Brussel sprouts, butternut squash, leeks, mushrooms, tart green apples, and pomegranates. And arriving just in time for a delicious preparation of the classic tri-tip meal are pinquito beans, a cross between a pink bean and a small white bean. Once you’re on the path to mastering this dish, there is no turning back. This scrumptious Santa Maria BBQ standard will turn any dilettante in the kitchen into an avid chef with a prize-winning meal for the ages.

BOX RECIPES

  • Grilled Sausage, Eggs, Hasselblad Potatoes & Pesto
  • Whole Roasted Chicken with Blackened Brussel Sprouts
  • Santa-Maria Style Tri-Tip
  • Butternut Squash & Green Apple Soup
  • Mushroom & Leek Quiche
  • Taco Salad With Pinquito Beans
  • Brown Butter Spaetzle with Basil
  • Crispy Brussels Hash with Cloud Eggs

BOX DETAILS

Large Omnivore Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for Grilled Sausage, Eggs, Hasselblad Potatoes & Pesto, Whole Roasted Chicken with Blackened Brussels Sprouts, Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip, Butternut Squash and Green Apple Soup, and Mushroom & Leek Quiche, plus additional staples and fruit.

Large Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for the Butternut Squash & Green Apple Soup, Mushroom & Leek Quiche, Taco Salad with Pinquito Beans, Brown Butter Spaetzle with Basil, and Crispy Brussels Hash with Cloud Eggs, plus additional staples and fruit.

Small Omnivore Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for the Santa-Maria Tri-Tip and the Butternut Squash & Green Apple Soup, plus additional staples and fruit.

Small Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Boxes include ingredients for Butternut Squash & Green Apple Soup, and the Mushroom & Leek Quiche,  plus additional staples and fruit.

ORDER YOUR NARRATIVE PROVISIONS BOX — DELIVERY 3–9PM SUNDAY, 10/6

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, October 1st 

#FoodNarrativeFriday with Amelia Saltsman

September 21, 2019 Filed Under: Recipes

Amelia Saltsman photo by Patricia Williams

Amelia Saltsman is one of our favorite cookbook authors and curator of this week’s Narrative Provisions box inspired by her tome The Seasonal Jewish Kitchen: A Fresh Take on Tradition.

ORDER YOUR NARRATIVE PROVISIONS BOX INSPIRED BY AMELIA SALTSMAN’S COOKBOOK “THE SEASONAL JEWISH: A FRESH TAKE ON TRADITION” — DELIVERY 3–9PM SUNDAY, 9/29

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, September 24th

The following is a food memory that Amelia shared for #FoodNarrativeFriday.

My Defining Summer

When I was ten years old, my mother, my baby sister, and I spent the summer in Israel. It was my mother’s first visit back to her natal family since she left with my father eleven years prior for the United States. Not only was it my first visit to Israel, it was the first time I met my grandparents and most of my extended family. 

Those three months were packed with new and strange experiences, sights, aromas, and flavors. Until that moment, I had been a burger-loving kid who took baloney-and-miracle-whip sandwiches in her lunchbox and thought all cakes were frosted-two-layer and apple pie was very sweet and cinnamon-y. 

I had no way of knowing then that the summer of ’61 would be the formative moment in defining how I think about and cook food. Those childhood taste memories are as vivid today as if I just experienced them yesterday: Sweet butter (not salty margarine) and the yeasty scent of the crescent rolls my aunt picked up fresh every morning from the tiny bakeshop on the corner (vs mass-produced white bread); the scents of hay, mulch, and smoke in the avocado orchard at my family’s farm in the moshav where we grilled thin minute-steaks vibrant with pungent spice to stuff into pita; and watching in wonder as my Romanian grandmother stretched dough impossibly thin to encase a tart-sweet apple filling that she baked in a tabletop oven. And, no surprise here, I shopped with my grandmothers and aunts for fruits and vegetables at the shuk. 

One of my aunts would take me to a popular café in Tel Aviv that served “banana splits.” As I recall, they had neither bananas nor marshmallow crème and were not served in low-slung boats. What made the dessert memorable was the counterpoint of tart sorbets and vanilla and bitter chocolate ice creams. They were piled into tall glasses with a bit of fruit and toasted nuts and laced with raspberry and chocolate sauces. The combination may not sound unusual today, but to me back then, it was a sensory revolution. Today, whenever I cook or develop a new recipe—be it savory or sweet, I still always seek that same sense of contrasting flavors, textures, colors, and temperatures that make one’s taste buds sing.

ORDER YOUR NARRATIVE PROVISIONS BOX INSPIRED BY AMELIA SALTSMAN’S COOKBOOK “THE SEASONAL JEWISH: A FRESH TAKE ON TRADITION” — DELIVERY 3–9PM SUNDAY, 9/29

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, September 24th



Everything I Want to Eat Box

September 3, 2019 Filed Under: Past Boxes, Recipes

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, September 10th 

ORDER YOUR NARRARIVE PROVISIONS BOX — DELIVERY 3–9PM Sunday, 9/15

ABOUT THIS BOX

We have been fans of Jessica since she started producing her first meticulously created jars of jam, and now she is one of the most renowned chefs in the country, featured in national publications. The owner of Sqirl and a long-time jam maker, she is known for her farm-to-table approach. Her café in Virgil Village has become an integral part of L.A.’s growing food culture that is dedicated to healthy meals full of farm fresh fare. With Jessica’s cookbook in hand, we can create some of her iconic dishes at home!

WHY THIS BOX?

We’ve chosen four recipes from “Everything I Want to Eat” along with a recipe Jessica contributed to Food & Wine Magazine. With ingredients delivered to your doorstep, plus the recipes, you can transform your dining table into one of the hottest tables in LA. Enjoy!

BOX RECIPES

  • Chicken Kofte on Rosemary Sprigs with Garlic Schmear & Cabbage Kumquat Salad 
  • Eggplant & Pepper Relish with Flank Steak
  • Pozole a la Gringa
  • Sorrel Pesto Rice Bowl
  • Socca

along with a few alternative recipes

  • Autumn Vegetarian Minestrone
  • Stuffed Cabbage with Rice and Tomatillo Sauce

Large Omnivore Narrative Provisions Box contains ingredients for Chicken Kofte on Rosemary Sprigs with Garlic Schmear and Cabbage Kumquat Salad, Eggplant & Pepper Relish with Flank Steak, Pozole a la Gringa, Sorrel Pesto Rice Bowl, and Socca, plus additional staples and fruit.

Large Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Box contains ingredients for the Sorrel Pesto Rice Bowl, the Socca, Not Quite Pozole a la Gringa, Cabbage Kumquat Salad and Eggplant & Pepper Relish with Tofu, plus additional staples and fruit.

Small Omnivore Narrative Provisions Box contains ingredients for the Chicken Kofte on Rosemary Sprigs with Garlic Schmear and Cabbage Kumquat Salad and the Sorrel Pesto Rice Bowl.

Small Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Box contains ingredients for the Sorrel Pesto Rice Bowl and the Socca.

ORDER YOUR NARRARIVE PROVISIONS BOX — DELIVERY 3–9PM Sunday, 9/15

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, September 10th 

The Home Cooked Box

August 27, 2019 Filed Under: Past Boxes, Recipes

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, September 3rd

ORDER YOUR NARRATIVE PROVISIONS BOX — RESIDENTIAL DELIVERY September 8th

ABOUT THIS BOX

For all of us who experiment in the kitchen, we know the greatest joy of a home cooked meal: breaking the bread around the table with our friends and loved ones. This is why we are so excited about our upcoming Home Cooked Box and our collaboration with Anya Fernald, the co-founder of Belcampo Meat Co and author of Home Cooked. Based on recipes from her cookbook, our Narrative Provisions Box turns up the heat in the kitchen as well as our commitment to our customers who get to take back cooking.

At Narrative Food we source local, sustainably grown and produced food so that you can share the joy of a healthy lifestyle. Much like Narrative,  Anya has created a beautiful business providing her customers with sustainable meat, and now, with this book, she is also focused on giving home cooks the confidence and recipes to love cooking again. The Home Cooked Box is fun and indulgent — and makes for the kind of lasting and tasty memories that can only come from the heart every time we cook at home and appreciate food culture.

WHY THIS BOX?

We love Anya’s unfussy approach to cooking, and her goal of making unpretentious food with the best fresh local ingredients. We can’t wait to source the local ingredients for our customers to cook recipes like Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms, Spatchcocked Chicken, Pork Spareribs, and a Lemony Fennel Salad. 

BOX RECIPES

  • Spatchcocked Chicken with Asado Potatoes and Pink Pickled Eggs  (If you’re not in the mood to thinly slice all your potatoes, try this recipe for Easy Decadent Fondant Potatoes)
  • Pork Spareribs with Blackened Carrots
  • Sausages and Blistered Green Beans 
  • Red Flannel Hash with Fried Eggs
  • Lemony Fennel Salad with Eggplant Caponata on Toast
  • Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms with Romano Bean Salad 
  • Pole Beans with Peanut Pistou and Poached Eggs

BOX DETAILS

Large Omnivore Narrative Provisions Box for the Spatchcocked Chicken with Asado Potatoes and Pink Pickled Eggs, Easy Decadent Fondant Potatoes, Pork Spareribs with Blackened Carrots, Sausages and Blistered Green Beans, Lemony Fennel Salad with Eggplant Caponata, and Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms with Romano Bean Salad, plus additional staples and fruit

Large Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Box for the Lemony Fennel Salad with Eggplant Caponata on Toast, Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms with Romano Bean Salad,  Easy Decadent Fondant Potatoes, Blackened Carrots, Red Flannel Hash with Fried Eggs, and Pole Beans with Peanut Pistou and Poached Eggs, plus additional staples and fruit

Small Omnivore Narrative Provisions Box for the Spatchcocked Chicken and Asado Potatoes with Pink Pickled Eggs, Easy Decadent Fondant Potatoes, and the Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms with Romano Bean Salad

Small Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Box for the Lemony Fennel Salad with Eggplant Caponata on Toast and the Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms with Romano Bean Salad

Excerpted from Home Cooked: Essential Recipes for a New Way to Cook by Anya Fernald with Jessica Battilana, copyright © 2016, published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Photography copyright © 2016 by Brown W. Cannon III.
 

 

Back to School Box

August 13, 2019 Filed Under: Kitchen Boxes, Past Boxes, Recipes

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, August 20th 

ORDER YOUR CULINARY INSPIRATIONS BOX — DELIVERY 3–9PM SUNDAY, 8/25

ABOUT THIS BOX

Summer is over, and many of you are back to being a chauffeur-parent, super-glued to your car seat, stressed by traffic, running out of time as you balance work while trying to get everyone from point A to point B – soccer practice, violin lessons, and playdates. You’ve got a million things on your mind: their successes, their passions, their travels, their college degrees – and dinner.

As the mother of three, I want to help my kids attain great experiences. And I want us to have the kind of quality time that creates lasting health, epic memories, basic life skills, and a family culture anchored by happy times around the dinner table. But with so much pressure, it’s no surprise that cooking ranks low on the To-Do list.  

Our Narrative Provisions boxes are designed to make the transition to cooking a seamless and fun one. Our kids shouldn’t need to go to “home economics” classes or cooking school to be able to feed themselves a simple meal.

BOX INGREDIENTS

This week, we have chosen a myriad of seasonal ingredients perfect for making kid-friendly meals – sweet potatoes, lipstick peppers, tomatillos, bread, ingredients for pesto pasta and apples for lunchbox applesauce!

Pave the way to cooking and enjoy your back-to-school season with a carefully curated box that relieves shopping time, thinking and planning, and trying to procure fresh ingredients from farmers markets. One day your child will thank you, because every child who cooks with a parent is an empowered child. Cooking is and will always be their very first second language – right after they utter their first “Mama”. Here’s to happy school days ahead!

BOX RECIPES

  • Roasted Chicken w/ Sweet Potato & Apple Mash
  • Grilled Steak & Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
  •  Chicken & Veggie Brochettes
  • Pasta w/ Fresh Pesto
  • Charred Pepper & Eggplant Bruschetta

BOX DETAILS

Large Omnivore Narrative Provisions Box for all the recipes, plus additional staples and fruit

Large Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Box for the Pasta with Fresh Pesto and Charred Pepper & Eggplant Bruschetta + Salad and the ingredients for 2-3 more meals of your own invention, plus additional staples and fruit

Small Omnivore Narrative Provisions Box for the Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potato & Apple Mash and Charred Pepper & Eggplant Bruschetta + Salad

Small Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Box for Pasta with Fresh Pesto and Charred Pepper & Eggplant Bruschetta + Salad 

 

Add A Little Lemon Box

August 6, 2019 Filed Under: Past Boxes, Recipes

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, August 13th 

ORDER YOUR CULINARY INSPIRATIONS BOX — DELIVERY 3–9PM Sunday, 8/18

ABOUT THIS BOX

By Sara Leana Ahmad – an LA-based Iraqi changing the narrative about Iraq, through food…with recipes from her blog Add a Little Lemon 

Check her out on Instagram as well @addalittlelemon 

“IRAQ is: Mesopotamia, the Cradle of Civilization, the Fertile Crescent, the land of the Tigris and Euphrates, the birthplace of Abraham, the site of the Garden of Eden, the supposed burial ground of Noah’s Ark, home to Gilgamesh. It has deep and powerful roots. And those roots are reflected in the cuisine.

The very first cookbook ever written was from Mesopotamia, on stone tablets.

Iraq’s rich history and glorious ethnic and cultural diversity means its food is complex. Iraqi cuisine is influenced by Levantine, Iranian, Turkish, Kurdish, Armenian, Jewish, and Indian cuisine, among others, creating something wholly original and beautiful.

Alas Americans seem to know very little about Iraq other than war, destruction, and violence. It’s all we get to see. This limited view of such a beautiful country, which up until the sixties was known as “The Jewel of the Middle East,” continues an Orientalist tradition of pigeonholing the entire region as violent and destructive. We learn that the violence is somehow inherent and so we choose to ignore it, without considering the consequences.

More and more Iraqis are using social media to show us a different view of Iraq than the one portrayed in media. They are moving the camera lens an inch, to the parts we don’t usually see, the beauty and life that exists despite the violence, corrupt policies, and foreign meddling, the curses of such rich land and soil.

A few years ago Snapchat featured a Day in the Life of Baghdad, in which Iraqi snaps of daily life were selected, surprising millions. We don’t think about carnivals, delicious food, beautiful landscapes, people laughing and enjoying life when we think about Iraq. And sadly unless we look for it we won’t see it. The popular Instagram account @EveryDayIraq features a collection of photographs that depict daily life among its people, beyond the scope of violence. 

Yes, there is corruption and violence in Iraq – as there is here and anywhere. But there is so much more to Iraq. And given our active participation in the region, it is at the very least our responsibility to attempt to understand our shared humanities.

As it always is, food is a powerful cultural bridge. This box is more than just recipes and ingredients: it’s a positive social force! Enjoy!

Bil Afya | Bon Appetit

With love, Sara

BOX RECIPES

  • Quozi + Biryani – Garlic Roasted Leg of Lamb Atop Bejeweled Rice
  • Makhlama – Skillet of Ground Beef, Tomatoes, and Parsley topped with egg and lemon juice
  • Nena’s Tashreeb Istanbuli
  • Chickpea Socca
  • Vegan Lentil Soup with Vermicelli Noodles & Lots of Lemon!

BOX DETAILS

Large Omnivore Narrative Provisions Box for all the recipes, plus additional staples and fruit

Large Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Box for the Chickpea Socca and Vegan Lentil Soup with Vermicelli Noodles and Lots of Lemon!  and the ingredients for 2-3 more meals of your own invention, plus additional staples and fruit

Small Omnivore Narrative Provisions Box for the Nena’s Tshreeb Istanbuli and the Chickpea Socca!

Small Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Box for the Chickpea Socca and Vegan Lentil Soup with Vermicelli Noodles and Lots of Lemon! 

About Sara Leana Ahmad: I’m an Iraqi American living in Los Angeles hoping to reframe the Orientalist narrative of Iraq through our common humanity: food. One kubba at a time…

Photo by @ahmadmousa

Changing the narrative one box at a time…

Read below for a heartwarming response that Sara received after one of our Narrative Food community members received our Add a Little Lemon Narrative Provisions box…

A few months ago I designed an Iraqi-inspired meal-kit delivery box with Narrative Food that delivered within and beyond the greater Los Angeles area. The goal was to introduce people to Iraqi food in the hopes that they might think about Iraq in a new context and what that might mean. I wondered if people would actually take my message into consideration when making the meals or if they would simply eat the food and go on with their lives. 

And then I received this incredible letter, which I’ll leave you with. 

Apologies that this email took so long. I wanted you to know that our “Add a Little Lemon” Iraqi box was extra special. During each night of cooking and eating we talked about how the food was from a far away country named Iraq. We loved every bite of it, and especially fun was the drama of sizzling turmeric oil and serving on giant platters and the funny instructions like “don’t be lazy, tembal”Anyway, my 3 year old has recently taken a keen interest in maps and finding countries/states/etc. He showed me a doodle of a map he had drawn declaring, “This is Iraq!” So I just love love love that his first associations with Iraq – just as Sara was hoping – will not be violent or terrible, but delicious and wonderful instead.

THANK YOU!!!

Cheers,
Christine 

 

Quick & Easy Summer Meals

July 24, 2019 Filed Under: Kitchen Boxes, Past Boxes, Upcoming Box, Upcoming Recipes

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, July 30th 

ORDER YOUR NARRATIVE PROVISIONS BOX — DELIVERY 3-9PM Sunday 8/4  

ABOUT THIS BOX

With so much going on – and the heat – and with some of us working while the kids play, we thought quick, and we thought easy. One or two dishes are a little slow and easy, requiring time for your marinade, if desired, and all are simply delicious!

BOX RECIPES

  • Salt & Pepper Rib Eye with Salad of Sliced Heirloom Tomatoes and Opal Basil
  • Avocado Burger with Grilled Onions & Pasillas, & Corn on the Cob
  • Sticky Honey Soy Chicken Wings & Charred Eggplant
  • Delicata & Ricotta Quiche, Salad with Pears
  • Couscous Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumber, & Lots of Herbs
  • Ricotta Stuffed Eggplant with Tomato
  • Summery Corn, Avocado & Basil Salad

BOX DETAILS

Large Omnivore Narrative Provisions Box for the first 5 recipes, plus additional staples and fruit

Large Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Box for the Quiche, Couscous Salad, the Ricotta Stuffed Eggplant with Tomato, and the Summery Corn, Avocado & Basil Salad, plus additional staples and fruit

Small Omnivore Narrative Provisions Box for the Rib-Eye Steak and the Quiche

Small Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Box for the Quiche and Couscous Salad  

The Biggest Little Farm & Back to Butter

April 24, 2019 Filed Under: Recipes

We are celebrating the release of The Biggest Little Farm (and the week leading up to Mother’s Day!) with recipes from Back to Butter written by Apricot Lane Farms farmer-chef Molly Chester and her mom Sandy Schrecengost.

We are excited to be sharing delicious bio-dynamic and organic selections from Apricot Lane in this week’s box. Avocados, lemons, lettuces, chives and a special sample of their Bourbon Lemon Marmalade!

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, April 30th

Order Your Narrative Provisions Box – Delivery Sunday, May 5th (3-9 PM)

Recipes of the Week (see below for details)

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Simple Asparagus Soup

Baked Potatoes with the Works

Roasted Cauliflower

Plus Fixings for Breakfast for Dinner with Mama

Large Omnivore Narrative Provisions Box for all of the above recipes along with this week’s meat selection and an assortment of fruits.

Large Vegetarian Provisions Box for all of the above recipes along with an assortment of fruits.

Small Omnivore Narrative Provisions Box for Baked Potatoes with Bacon and the works as well as Quinoa Tabbouleh.

Small Vegetarian Narrative Provisions Box for Baked Potatoes with the works and Quinoa Tabbouleh.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Ingredients

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/4 cup dried currants or raisins

1/3 cup tomato, seeded and chopped (or if using cherry tomatoes, slice them in half)

1/2 cup- 1 cup of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup sliced scallion (both white and green parts) or chive

1 3/4 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil

1/8-1/4 tsp of garlic paste

salt and pepper to taste

Not included: oil, salt and pepper.

Instructions

Combine the quinoa, dried fruit, tomato, parsley, and scallion or chive in a large-size bowl. With a fork, toss the ingredients to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour over the quinoa mixture and using your fork, toss again.

Chill for 2 hours, if desired, and serve.

*Large Omnivore Narrative Provisions boxes include a recipe for Top Sirloin Steak to pair with this recipe.

Simple Asparagus Puréed Soup

Ingredients

1/2 tbsp butter or ghee

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 tbsp minced garlic

your portion of asparagus, cut-up

2 cups of stock

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper

Not included: butter or ghee, stock, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

Instructions

In a medium-size pot over medium heat, melt the butter or ghee until it begins to foam. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add asparagus, stock, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover and lower the heat to medium; cook for 10 minutes, maintaining a rolling simmer.

Remove from the heat. Uncover and cool for 5 minutes. Purée in the pot if using an immersion blender, or in a regular blender, until the mixture is smooth. Return to the pan (if necessary) and keep covered on low heat until ready to serve.

*Large Omnivore Narrative Provisions Boxes will include a recipe for Whole Chicken to pair with the asparagus soup.

Baked Potatoes with the Works

Ingredients

3-4 large potatoes

3-4 tsp melted butter or ghee

cheese sauce

sea salt of choice

freshly cracked black pepper

diced onion, scallion or chives

diced avocado (optional)

sautéed mushrooms

crème fraîche (optional)

Not included: butter or ghee, salt and pepper, cheese sauce, crème fraîche.

Instructions

Bake the potatoes for 1 hour. Test with a paring knife, it should slide into the center of the potato with ease after piercing the skin. If not fully baked, continue baking in 15-minute increments until done.

To serve, split the potatoes lengthwise, then top with a scoop of cheese sauce and desired toppings.

*Omnivore Narrative Provisions boxes will include bacon to pair with this recipe.

Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients

1/4 cup melted butter or ghee*

6 cloves garlic, smashed but whole

your portion of cauliflower or romanesco, seperated into florets

1/3 nuts of your choice

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper

3 fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan (optional)

1/3 cup raisins

chopped parsley

quinoa, rice or pasta

Not included: butter or ghee, salt and pepper, thyme, cheese, rice or pasta.

Instructions

In a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish, combine the smashed garlic, cauliflower, and nuts. Drizzle the melted renderings over the cauliflower mixture, and sprinkle the sea salt and pepper over the top. Toss well with a spatula until the cauliflower is evenly coated. If using, place the thyme sprigs on top.

Bake for 25 minutes, then turn with a spatula, and sprinkle the parmesan on top, if desired. Bake for 15 minutes more, until the edges of the cauliflower, have caramelized and the nuts are nicely browned.

Place the pan on a cooking rack and remove the thyme stems. Add the raisins and toss well. Serve warm with quinoa or risotto.

*Omnivores may choose to save the bacon fat leftover from Baked Potato recipe to use here.

Taste of Tuscany Box

October 30, 2018 Filed Under: Meat Meals, Recipes, Soups, Salads and Sides, Vegetarian Meals

Order Deadline: Noon, Tuesday, November 6th

ORDER YOUR CULINARY INSPIRATIONS BOX — DELIVERY 6 AM Sunday, November 11th  

With great pleasure, we welcome back Gabriele Bertaccini’s Taste of Tuscany Box. For those of you who are new, or missed his last box, Gabriele is the Executive Chef and owner of iL TOCCO, a private boutique dining, and catering company.

Born in Florence, Italy, and inspired by his family’s love for food and his native land, Gabriele Bertaccini discovered his passion for cooking as a young boy. At the age of thirteen, Gabriele landed his first job at a local restaurant where he washed dishes and pans. Not too long after that, he bought a suitcase of knives and started cooking. Since then, he’s never stopped.

You can find him on Instagram @gabebertaccini and on his website www.iltoccofood.com

BOX RECIPES

  • Grilled Tuscan Steak with Sautéed Chanterelles and Roasted Heirloom Potatoes with Raw Fennel Salad
  • Involtini Di Pollo (Chicken Roulade) with Sautéed Tuscan Kale and Caramelized Cumin-Roasted Carrots
  • Sliders with Caramelized Leeks and Roasted Winter Squash
  • Tomato and Leek Farro and Spicy Broccoli
  • Tuscan Cassoulet Soup and Leopard Lettuce Salad 
  • Ultimate Autumn Frittata with Crispy Chanterelles

Large Omnivore Culinary Inspirations Boxes include ingredients for the Grilled Tuscan Steak with Sautéed Chanterelles and Roasted Heirloom Potatoes with Raw Fennel Salad, Involtini Di Pollo with Sauteed Tuscan Kale and Caramelized Cumin-Roasted Carrots, Sliders with Caramelized Leeks and Roasted Winter Squash, Tomato and Leek Farro, Tuscan Cassoulet Soup, and Leopard Lettuce Salad, plus additional staples and fruit.

Large Vegetarian Culinary Inspirations Boxes include ingredients for the Tomato and Leek Farro, Tuscan Cassoulet Soup, Sauteed Tuscan Kale, Caramelized Cumin-Roasted Carrots, Leopard Lettuce Salad, and Ultimate Autumn Frittata with Crispy Chanterelles plus additional staples and fruit.

Small Omnivore Culinary Inspirations Boxes include ingredients for the Grilled Tuscan Steak with Sautéed Chanterelles and Roasted Heirloom Potatoes with Raw Fennel Salad,  and the Tuscan Cassoulet Soup, plus additional staples and fruit.

Small Vegetarian Culinary Inspirations Boxes include ingredients for the Tomato and Leek Farro and the Tuscan Cassoulet Soup, plus additional staples and fruit.

 

 

 

Elizabeth Poett and The Ranch Table

September 18, 2018 Filed Under: Kitchen Boxes, Meat Meals, Past Boxes

ABOUT THIS BOX

Elizabeth Poett was born and raised on Rancho San Julian, her family’s 14,000-acre cattle ranch on California’s Central Coast. She grew up climbing trees in a tutu and cowboy boots, gathering cows, and helping her mother cook and host events.

In 2007, after college in Ohio and a stint in Greenwich Village, Elizabeth Poett moved back to the ranch and started Rancho San Julian Beef, selling her family’s ranch-raised beef directly to chefs and consumers. Elizabeth spends her days looking after cattle and the sheep, chickens, and turkeys that she raises seasonally, as well as cooking (and canning and pickling) with all of the delicious and varied ingredients the ranch and California’s Central Coast, have to offer. Check out the meal plan for The Ranch Table Box here.

WHY THIS BOX?

The ranch, graced by California live oak, also grows a variety of vegetables, grapes, and lavender. Its tradition of environmental stewardship extends to solar power with a watering system designed to protect its many creeks and arroyos. Faced with the severe challenges of periodic droughts, Elizabeth Poett, who was born and raised on the ranch, has worked with her family to maintain the ranch’s sustainable farming practices by bringing on biodynamic guru Chris Thompson. The crops, cultivated with minimal water, are absolutely beautiful – a testament to the love and care that has gone into growing them.

This week, we’re delighted to offer some of Elizabeth’s favorite beef dishes, along with a special honey from her bees. 

BOX RECIPES

  • Rancher’s Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes
  • Top Sirloin Tacos
  • Chicken Chile Verde with Mexican Rice
  • Watermelon Gazpacho** (if you have made too much gazpacho this summer, here’s a Greek Salad recipe)
  • Dry Country Frittata with Dandelion Greens
  • Potato Taquitos with Green Sauce
  • Tempura Avocado with Mango Salad

BOX DETAILS

Omnivore 5-meal Culinary Inspirations Box for Rancher’s Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes, Top Sirloin Tacos, Chicken Chile Verde with Mexican Rice, Watermelon Gazpacho, and Dry Country Frittata plus additional staples and fruit 

Vegetarian 5-meal Culinary Inspirations Box for Dry Country Frittata, Watermelon Gazpacho, Mexican Rice, Potato Taquitos with Green Sauce, and Tempura Avocado with Mango Salad plus additional staples and fruit

Omnivore 2-meal Culinary Inspirations Box for Top Sirloin Tacos and Watermelon Gazpacho

Vegetarian 2-meal Culinary Inspirations Box for Dry Country Frittata and Watermelon Gazpacho

Summery Corn, Avocado and Basil Salad

July 17, 2018 Filed Under: Vegetarian Meals

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Summery Corn, Avocado & Basil Salad

  • Author: Adapted from David Leibovitz
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ears of fresh corn (raw or grilled)
  • 1/2 basket of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1/2 cucumber, peeled and seeded
  • Baby Kale, your portion
  • 1 cup loosely packed chopped fresh basil
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Vinaigrette
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon sea or kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons (90ml) extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Shuck the corn and remove it from the cob.
  2. Remove any stems and slice the cherry tomatoes in half.
  3. Peel the avocado, remove the pit, and dice the flesh.
  4. Cut the cucumber into similar sized cubes.
  5. Put the corn kernels, tomatoes, avocado, cucumber, baby kale and basil into a serving bowl and season with freshly ground black pepper.
  6. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt, and olive oil. Pour the vinaigrette dressing over the salad and gently mix together. Taste, and add more salt and pepper if necessary.

Notes

  • Not Included: Salt, Pepper, Red Wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, Olive Oil

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Ricotta-Stuffed Grilled Eggplant with Tomato

July 17, 2018 Filed Under: Vegetarian Meals

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Ricotta-Stuffed Eggplant with Tomato

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Description

Adapted from a recipe by Caroline Wright on Food 52


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 plum tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 garlic clove, finely grated
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper flakes
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), cut into 1/4-inch slices
  • 1/2 your container of whole-milk ricotta
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley
  • Freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

  1. Preheat grill to medium. Combine tomatoes, garlic, pepper flakes, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Place a large rectangle of foil on your work surface, and pour the tomatoes on top. Gather and crimp edges of foil, sealing to form a packet. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper and brush with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. In a small bowl, stir together ricotta, parsley, and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper and set aside. Add the foil packet and the eggplant to the grill. Grill the eggplant until charred and tender, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Grill packet, shaking occasionally, for 12 minutes. Transfer the grilled tomatoes to a bowl and mash with a potato masher to create a sauce. To assemble, place about 1/4 cup ricotta filling on eggplant slices. Starting with a narrower side, roll the eggplant around filling. Serve stuffed eggplant with tomato sauce.

Notes

  • Not Included: Nutmeg, Pepper Flakes, Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2

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Arugula and Goat Cheese Salad with Fig Vinaigrette

June 30, 2018 Filed Under: Vegetarian Meals

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Arugula and Goat Cheese Salad with Fig Vinaigrette

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Ingredients

Scale
  • VINAIGRETTE
  • 4 figs, stemmed, quartered
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
  • Generous pinch of sugar
  • 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • SALAD
  • 4 1/2-inch-thick rounds soft fresh goat cheese (from 11-ounce log)
  • 1 egg, beaten to blend
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • arugula, your portion
  • 6 fresh figs
  • Honey

Instructions

  1. For the Vinaigrette
  2. Combine figs and 1/4 cup water in medium saucepan.
  3. Bring mixture to simmer over medium-low heat, mashing with potato masher until mixture softens and coarse puree forms. Transfer fig mixture to strainer set over bowl. Press on solids to extract as much mixture as possible. Whisk lemon juice, both vinegars, basil, and sugar into fig puree. Whisk in oil. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
  4. SALAD
  5. Dip goat cheese rounds in beaten egg; coat both sides with panko.
  6. Place goat cheese on plate; chill 10 minutes.
  7. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
  8. Add goat cheese to skillet; cook just until golden, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to paper towels.
  9. Arrange arugula on platter. Scatter fig halves over. Surround with goat cheese slices. Drizzle with honey; spoon vinaigrette over.
  10. Enjoy!

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Crispy Salt and Vinegar Potatoes

June 30, 2018 Filed Under: Recipes

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