a year of de krat

It's the end of the year and time to reflect on what has passed. One of my favorite (small) things of 2011 was discovering de krat, a box of local produce delivered to my door each week. Over the last few years, I have become more aware of the origin of my food and the importance of supporting local farmers. I was so happy to discover Amsterdam's version of community-supported agriculture that is abundant in my hometown. Thanks to de krat, my cooking skills and willingness to experiment with new foods and recipes grew exponentially over the last half year. Looking forward to more in 2012.

de krat 2 December

In this week's crate: leeks, cabbage, pears, a teeny tiny pumpkin, tomatoes, eggs, apples, bread, winter salad, Jerusalem artichokes, black salsify, and pink, orange, and purple beets.

de krat 19 November

In this week's crate: tomatoes, bread, assorted paprikas, winter lettuce, red potatoes, broccoli, parsnips, a green pumpkin, endive, pears, a rutabaga, sausages (for the German), and rosemary olive oil.

de krat 12 november

In this week's crate: New Zealand spinach, pear juice, cherry tomatoes, bread, Granny Smith apples, organic eggs, leek, a rosemary plant, Burdock root, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, and a European plaice filet.

Did you know Brussels sprouts grew on a stalk? I had no idea.

de krat 5 november

In this week's crate: Komatsuna leaves, purple grapes, rapini, Jerusalem artichoke, salad, carrots, Savoy cabbage (the last of the season), red onions, pears, Belle de Boskoop apples, mushrooms, bread, and venison. Looking forward to a week of eating well.

late October harvest

A Saturday morning delivery from de krat. With a busy work week ahead, I am looking forward to eating well with parsnip fries, baked apples, a romanesco pasta, and a pumpkin soup. The crate also came with a bottle of vlierbes azijn (elderberry vinegar), pictured below.

While Marcus is much more experimental when it comes to cooking, I have been expanding my collection of recipes with inspiration from these food blogs: 101 cookbooks, roost, what katie ate, bella eats, spoon fork bacon, sweet paul, and my new roots. What are some of your favorite places to find new food inspiration?

recipes for October

This week's delivery brought eggs, bread, broccoli stalks, pears, red onions, apple pear juice, radishes, chard, Savoy cabbage, purslane, and beef. After hearing about three more acquaintances who have signed up for de krat, I decided to not only write about the week's content, but also share a few recipes.

Pears. In the latest edition of Sweet Paul magazine, there is a section dedicated to pear recipes. The desserts look fantastic, of course, but I decided to test out the pear soup. Perfect for fall.

Fall greens. Last week we received a bunch of kale, something I have never cooked with before. I tried a simple recipe, sauteéing the greens with olive oil and garlic, then topping with a bit of cheese.

What are some of your favorite autumn recipes?

return of de krat

After two weeks without de Krat (due to holidays), it was such a thrill to hear the doorbell ring on Saturday morning. This week's box of local, organic food contained a bottle of apple juice, a head of lettuce, two ears of corn, a loaf of whole grain bread, fennel, round zucchini, smoked mackerel, plum, apples, potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes, and a pot of fresh basil. The week ahead will be filled with salads, zucchini bread, plum and fennel compote, and much more goodness.

the weekly krat

Being away the last two weekends, one of the things I was looking forward to was receiving a crate from de krat Saturday morning. Once again, this week's offering didn't fail to delight with apple berry juice, fresh bread, an assortment of cherry tomatoes, fresh spinach, a head of lettuce, fava beans, chicory, peppers, red currant berries, Romanesco broccoli, flat-leaf parsley, a Thai chicken pot pie, and lamb sausage (I'm not a meat eater, so the last two items are for ze German).

Below is an afternoon snack that Marcus prepared of fava bean and pea puree with lemon, garlic, and olive oil in a chicory leaf. Yes, it was delicious.

de krat: week two

The second week of fresh, locally produced food from de Krat (the crate) brought another loaf of bread, chanterelle mushrooms, two zucchinis, two yellow squash, two large tomatoes, two fish, a bottle of apple juice, a head of cauliflower, a bunch of fresh mint, a bag of spinach, fennel, mixed greens, and six potatoes.

First on the list to use is the zucchini for a loaf of zucchini bread. The mint will be tossed into a warm glass of water for fresh mint tea with honey. The cauliflower will go into a dish of spicy sauteed cauliflower with sesame. The rest of the items will be inspired by the recipes provided by de Krat along with the weekly crate.

de krat

On Saturday morning, we received the first box full of locally-produced, organic goods from De krat (The crate), which was stuffed full with leek, Chinese cabbage, paprika, chili peppers, tomatoes, squash, lettuce, beets, fresh baked bread, cherries, oregano- and chili-spiced sausage (not for me), and lemon-flavored mayonnaise from The Bio Bandits.

I had been thinking about signing up for a box from Odin, which has a pick up point around the corner from my apartment, but when I heard about de krat I was instantly sold. The boxes are filled with eight different types of fruits and vegetables (although I wish there had been more fruit in this one), as well as other products of the week like bread, milk, eggs, jam, nuts, or cheese. They also deliver free in Amsterdam and include recipes using the products of that week's crate.