Chelsea HarrisonComment

Local Produce Delivery!

Chelsea HarrisonComment
Local Produce Delivery!

When Fresh Harvest asked me to try one of their produce baskets, I really didn't think this was a service I'd use. I was excited to try it, but I like going to the store and picking out my own produce. I thought it might be a great option for someone else, but not for someone like me. And  of course I was totally wrong. But first, here is how Fresh Harvest works:

First you order your basket. They have some with exclusively local produce, some with just fruit, and baskets of varying sizes to feed a single person or a whole family (or office). The fruits and vegetables change each week depending on the availability based on what is in currently in season. And they tell you which local farms they source from.

I have been a member of a CSA before and I loved it, but I still had to go to the store for milk, bread, nuts, and any prepared food. Fresh Harvest has items you can add-on to your basket so that you can skip the store altogether. They have local milk, cheese, raw juice, bread, meat (if that's your thing), jam, even homemade fruit leather that you can add to your order.  And the makers of these grocery items are some of my favorite local companies like Sweet Grass Farm cheeses, Pressed Juicery, and Banner Butter.

Next, they deliver your basket in a covered container with cold packs and leave it on your doorstep. The next week, you leave the empty tub outside for them, they collect it, and drop off a new one. Easy as that. 

 

 

While I do like picking out my own produce, I love that getting a basket of surprise produce forces me to use ingredients I don't typically buy; We had a lot of fun giving my nephews sugar cane for the first time.  And if any of the produce is not up to par, Fresh Harvest will replace it the next week - no questions asked.

After trying the basket, I realized what an awesome gift this is (Mother's Day present, anyone?). For now I may just order a basket now and then - especially on a busy week - but once this baby comes, Fresh Harvest is going to be my go to.

Check out Fresh Harvest here! Mention The Naked Fig as your referral and get $15 off your first basket!

 

Disclaimer: Fresh Harvest provided me with a basket of food to review. I will never endorse any product or service I don't actually believe in, and all reviews are my honest experience despite any compensation.

 

Chelsea Harrison7 Comments

Summer Basil Rolls

Last week my friend Alice asked me what I eat when I don't feel like cooking, haven't planned a recipe, or when the refrigerator is looking sparse.  Great question! On my journey toward a more natural slow food diet I used to eat really well until I hit speed bumps.  If I was really tired, didn't feel well, or simply wasn't inspired, I turned to takeout and processed foods.  I'd know that somewhere in the pantry I'd find a bag of zero-nutrition crackers with a scary-long shelf-life.  After eating I'd have even less energy than I had before.

Once I got to a point where I was buying almost no processed foods, eating like that simply stopped being an option.  Now when I don't feel up to cooking, the choices for foods I can grab and eat are fruits, veggies, or nuts.  And I often find that after a handful of cashews or an apple my energy comes back enough to prepare something substantial.

But I'm not always in the mood for twig-and-berries kinds of snacks, so I try to plan ahead for times when cooking isn't going to happen.  When I make a meal with a grain (quinoa, farro, rice, etc.), I make a double batch of the grains to keep on hand in the fridge.  And if I make soup, I always make more than I need so that I can refrigerate or freeze some.  My freezer is always stocked with fruit for smoothies and I love to make flourless seed and nut breads and keep them in the freezer as well.

Chelsea Harrison7 Comments
Summer Basil Rolls
Chelsea Harrison3 Comments

Tomato Basil Farro with Summer Vegetable Stack & Pesto Drizzle

Last year at the Naked Fig Dinner Party I made this Tomato Basil Farro and topped it with a Summer Vegetable Stack and Fresh Pesto Sauce. I meant to share the recipe with you then, but summer came to an end and the produce was no longer available. So before another summer fades away, I want to share this simple and delicious recipe. It is so easy to make, but the presentation will make people think you worked all day on it. And it is vegan too!

Chelsea Harrison3 Comments
Tomato Basil Farro with Summer Vegetable Stack & Pesto Drizzle
Chelsea Harrison3 Comments

Root Vegetable Chips with Caramelized Onion Dip

When you think about chips and dip, you don't exactly think healthy. But this might be the healthiest recipe I've ever posted. Seriously. Other than a tablespoon of oil and a pinch of salt, the only ingredients are vegetables. And somehow this two-ingredient healthy dip  tastes completely indulgent. Put this caramelized onion spread on toast, veggie burgers, cheese, fruit... (might I recommend gruyere, fig spread, caramelized onion jam grilled cheese?) It tastes good on everything. Trust me.

Also be sure to check my instagram this week for a delicious giveaway!

Chelsea Harrison3 Comments
Root Vegetable Chips with Caramelized Onion Dip
Chelsea Harrison3 Comments

Banana Birthday Cake with Cream Cheese and Chocolate Frosting

My best friend Emily of Whisk and Whittle makes this amazing cake with caramelized bananas and Nutella.  If you are in the mood for all the butter, flour, and sugar (which sometimes I am!), her cake is definitely the winner.  But last week I was in the mood for that cake, but I wanted a healthier version. I decided to adapt the recipe from my Maple Pecan Banana Muffins to make a healthy gluten-free/refined sugar-free version. And while it is a different cake experience completely, it turned out great!

Chelsea Harrison3 Comments
Banana Birthday Cake with Cream Cheese and Chocolate Frosting
Chelsea Harrison7 Comments

6 Tips for Planning a Wedding on a $5K Budget

When Sam and I decided to get married, one thing was clear: We were not going to splurge on a wedding. I wanted to elope, but Sam wanted a wedding, so we began planning. The average cost of a wedding is about $30,000. We are incredibly practical people, so spending enough money to put a down payment on a house for one party was out of the question. We set a goal of spending $5,000 knowing that we would probably go over and spend closer to $10,000. But the more we planned, the more we realized how little we really needed and the more we got excited about proving that we could actually make a wedding with more than 150 guests (we have HUGE families) happen on a shoestring budget.  Here is how we did it...

Chelsea Harrison7 Comments
6 Tips for Planning a Wedding on a $5K Budget