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The struggle is real when it comes to finding organic, sustainably-sourced veggies, let alone fresh, quality produce. As a home cook, I’ve spent countless minutes (yes, I’m that person that looks for the perfect avocado) sorting through produce aisles at my local brick-and-mortar store only to find moldy celery sticks, soiled lettuce, and over-ripe, mushy tomatoes. Even the most popular grocery delivery services have come up short. It’s frustrating, to say the least. So, when I was introduced to The Chef’s Garden, I knew I had to give it a try.
The Chef's Garden - Farmer Jones Farm, Thanksgiving Box — $225.00
This seasonal box features sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, beets, radish, fall squash, mixed greens, edible flowers, and an herb blend to help you kick start Thanksgiving with loved ones and friends. Bonus: It comes with recipes with the vegetables, from pomme purée to roasted sweet potatoes.
Other boxes start at $69 per box and can be ordered as often or as little as you’d like. Use the code WELLANDGOOD at checkout to save 10 percent off your first box.
What is The Chef’s Garden?
The Chef’s Garden—a family-owned farm in Ohio—delivers curated produce nationwide and offers produce subscription services via its sister brand, Farmer Jones Farm. Unlike other food subscription services that source produce from third-party sources, The Chef’s Garden delivers a box full of veggies, microgreens, and seasonal favorites straight from their garden grounds to your kitchen table, with prices ranging between $69-$225 per box. There’s no processing or packaging (save for packing it in your box); Each item is hand-picked and shipped out the next day for guaranteed freshness.
What’s more, The Chef’s Garden employs regenerative and sustainable farming techniques. One of the ways in which they do this is by giving the soil some rest time between harvests and enriching cover crops with nutritionally-rich compost. By doing this, crops can fight off weeds and insects on their own without the need for harmful chemicals or pesticides.
How I liked it
Tired of digging through browned lettuce and droopy herbs myself, I decided to give The Chef’s Garden a whirl. I ordered the Best of the Season Box ($69), but there are plenty of options to suit everyone’s dietary and lifestyle needs. For example, there’s a Seasonal Salad Box ($75), which comes with fresh salad ingredients that are harvested at the peak of ripeness, so you can enjoy maximum flavor and reap the benefits of their nutritional value. There’s even a Thanksgiving Box ($225) filled with potatoes, beets, carrots, and more to help you ring in the holiday season with enough for 4-6 of your loved ones.
Once opened, I found an abundance of best-of-the-season greens, including a beautiful fall squash, colorful, tiny carrot, hearty potatoes, and crispy mixed greens. I was surprised to find bok choy, a type of Chinese cabbage I grew up eating, because many of the grocery stores that I’ve visited don’t carry Asian vegetables. Even more, it came with a boxed micro-salad and edible flowers to for garnishing dinners and desserts (if you have a sweet tooth like me). The veggies came as is, meaning there was a little bit of dirt on some of them (that’s how you know it’s fresh), so I threw mine in a colander and commenced rinsing.
The next day, I got to cooking. Using the baby carrots and potatoes, I prepared a vegetable tomato soup and was surprised by how fresh and vibrant everything tasted. The carrots offered a light crunch and the potatoes a pillowy-goodness. This week, I plan to chop up the squash to make parmesan squash chips (yum) and lettuce heads for a quick salad.
Final thoughts
My experience with the Chef’s Garden has been nothing less than amazing. The service has gotten me excited about cooking vegetables (ones that are actually fresh!) and it’s helped me eat more greens, too. Whether you’re a chef that wants feel-good ingredients or are looking to add more vegetables into your mealtime routine, I’d recommend checking out the Chef’s Garden. You’ll save a trip to the grocery store and get to savor farm-fresh ingredients that will enhance whatever it is you’re whipping up.
And—lucky you—you’ll get 10 percent off on your first box just for being a Well+Good reader. Just enter the code WELLANDGOOD at checkout to redeem your discount, then get to cooking.
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