Week of July 28
My dear Community,
Summer is cranking. Our team is in the fields by 6 a.m. and working hard until 4 p.m. These longer days bring a whole lot of work, but also a whole lot of opportunity - and a whole lot of food.
Strawberry season is winding down, but we have a lot coming in this week and they’re extra sweet. Same goes for our beautiful peaches - they deserve to be enjoyed. Add both to your box this week at a discount to stock up and let summer taste like summer.
I can’t talk about that food without talking about the people making it happen. It’s hard to speak these days without speaking out - because we’re living in a time where cruelty has been normalized. Where people are being taken off the street for the civil offense of immigration paperwork. Civil offenses involve disputes between individuals or organizations, typically seeking compensation for damages. Criminal offenses, on the other hand, are violations of the law prosecuted by the government and can lead to jail time or fines. These are not the same - and yet lives are being torn apart over paperwork. It makes my stomach churn. We built this country on the backs of workers who’ve been stripped of their rights, and now we’re punishing them for trying to survive - on land that was never ours to begin with.
I’m heartbroken watching hate be justified, killing be excused, and basic human rights like food and water be withheld - in Gaza, at our borders, in our neighborhoods. While I can’t fix it all, I can choose how I show up. I’m reaching out to my local representatives. I’m keeping my eyes open for protests. I’m saying no to companies that profit off injustice - I don’t shop at Amazon or Walmart and choose to spend my dollars with companies whose practices and values I'm aligned with. It's harder to do these days. But more than anything, I’m choosing kindness. Real, radical kindness. The kind that sees people beyond politics. That doesn’t get trapped in the illusions of party lines or religious superiority. I want to live in harmony. Not because I’m naive, but because I refuse to let this system keep numbing and dividing us.
This box you’re receiving? It’s not just food. It’s a prayer - a human one. A prayer for someone else on this planet who’s suffering. A prayer that we can start to unravel the lies that have been sold to us and return to what really matters. A prayer that every woman, every child, every human being has their basic needs met. A prayer that we stop letting cruelty dress itself up as policy, and that we remember what it means to truly care for each other.
This box is nourishment. It’s resistance. It’s love.
And I’m so grateful to be in this with you.
I love you. Stay human.
Carolyn
Mediterranean Kale Salad (Paleo, Vegan)
Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
1 Tbsp olive oil (to massage kale)
1 cup chopped cucumber
½ cup chopped red pepper
⅓ cup sliced Kalamata olives
⅓ cup finely chopped red onion
¼ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
Homemade Vinaigrette
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp granulated garlic
pinch of salt
pepper to taste
Find the full recipe and inspiration here at Bake It Paleo
Quinoa with Roasted Zucchini, Kale & Peas
Ingredients
4 zucchini, sliced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 leek, washed and sliced
1 bunch kale, washed, trimmed and finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 lemon, juice + zest
200 g (7 oz) green peas (i love edamame here)
300 g (10 1/2 oz / 2 cups) cooked quinoa
2 tablespoons toasted flaked almonds (optional) or pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt
Persian feta or chopped avocado to serve
Find the full recipe and inspiration here at The Healthy Chef
Healthy Carrot Cake Cookies
Ingredients
1/2 cup creamy nut/seed butter, preferably no oils or sugars added
1 large egg
2 TBS oil, avocado, liquid coconut oil
1/4 cup coconut sugar*, can leave out if looking to avoid added sugars
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup almond meal or almond flour
2.5 TBS coconut flour
1/2 TBS ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, optional
1/4 tsp ground ginger, optional
36 g collagen peptides**, about 1/3 cup scooped
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup grated carrots, about 2 med-large carrots
melted coconut butter, for optional glaze
Find the full recipe and inspiration here at Fit Mitten Kitchen
Cantaloupe Melon Salad With Cucumber & Feta
Ingredients
2 cups cantaloupe melon, skin removed + cut into chunks (or spooned into balls)
2 cups cucumber, chopped into half-moons
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Approx. 15 large fresh mint leaves, torn or chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lime, juice only
Salt + pepper, to taste
Find the full recipe and inspiration here at Walder Wellness