Even if you don’t have toddlers running under foot, finding the time to put together something nourishing 3 times a day, 7 days a week is not the easiest thing to do. In fact, it’s pretty hard. So the first rule should be … “don’t aim too high”.
But let’s not aim too low either. Farmdrop is here to help – in terms of the health, taste and enjoyment of your food. Our top ten tips:
- Bundle! We know you don’t want to get bags of kale week after week, so our bundles (fruit and veg, veg, juicing bundles) give you a good mix of seasonal produce – and offer convenience and good value. You can always order items individually if you prefer.
- Choose washed veg. Ok, muddy has its charms, but do treat yourself to washed occasionally. However beautiful your vegetable brush, you will not always have time to use it.
- Get the basics in. The onion, celery, carrot combo (the French call it Mirepoix) is the base to many a good meal. Know what your basics are – butter, bread, milk, lemons, parsley – we have most of the essentials of any weekly shop.
- Fruit loop. We have a varied outlook on our fruit, being considerably more constrained by the seasons than your average supermarket. What we lack in range we make up for in quality!
- Know your staples. Chances are that while you have the occasional Blumenthal-esque flourish, a good bolognese / fish pie / cottage pie are your weekly staples. A roast chicken or a lamb tagine also go down well with the whole family.
- Pack it in. If you are making lunch for the kids or yourself then the occasional treat is a good idea – one of our scotch eggs will help to refuel you or your little ones. Make them sandwiches out of our delicious, soft focaccia from Bread Ahead.
- Cheap and slow. For those willing to start the cooking a little earlier, there are cuts of meat, like beef skirt, that reward patient cooking, often at a fraction of the cost.
- Embrace convenience. Treat yourself to the occasional pot of soup or a quiche. You owe it to yourself, and it’s tricky to cook from scratch all the time. Our handmade fresh tortelloni from Francesco’s gang at La Tua offers great value – and takes a couple of minutes to prepare.
- Pile ‘em high. Always keep healthy stashes of pasta, rice and pulses – don’t get caught short. If you always buy the same ones, experiment with bulgur wheat, pearl barley, lentils and British quinoa from Hodmedods – each has its own merits and it’s always good to bring something new to the table.
- Try something new. Nothing gets into our shop without a universal thumbs up from our bearded tasting duo, Mark and Jaks. Never tried La Tua’s fresh tagliatelle? Try it now. Never tried purple carrots? Bring a bit more colour to your kitchen!
