What’s In The Box? October 29 – November 4

All Hallow’s Eve
Just in time for the spookiest night of the year, this week’s box stars a stunning black rice stir-fry tossed with Matsutake mushrooms and green onions, and topped with quail egg and toasted sesame seeds. Deeply flavorful and aromatic, this warm, Asian-influenced meal is fit for a dark night, also featuring pumpernickel bread, ripe pears and Spanish black radishes, plus vegetable slaw topped with locally-made shallot oil and amber vinegar.

Here’s what you’ll find in your box this week:

Riso Venere Black Rice

With a striking black appearance, Venere rice is known as the “rice of the emperors” with Chinese roots and modern Italian applications. Mineral-rich with a sweet, nutty taste, it maintains its black hue after cooking, making it a perfect choice for a Halloween night dish—try it tossed with Matsutake mushrooms, green onions and a quail egg on top.

Matsutake Mushrooms

Long-prized by the Japanese for its distinctive spicy aroma, the Matsutake can be spotted in late autumn, often popping up locally in forests especially under pine trees. A true delicacy, these meaty mushrooms are wonderful stir-fried, roasted or pickled, bursting with flavor and bite.

Quail Eggs

Considered a delicacy in many parts of the world, the quail egg packs a beautifully rich flavor inside its speckled brown and tan shell. Wonderful poached, pickled and even sunny side up, these petite beauties from Oak Meadows Farm are particularly stunning atop a stir-fry of black rice and mushrooms.

Housemade Chicken Stock

Made from roasted Bella Luna chickens, this flavorful stock is simmered slowly for hours with carrots, onions and celery and seasoned with fresh herbs and a dash of sea salt.

Fresh Pumpernickel Bread

This slightly-sweet rye loaf is baked just for us by a small bakery in nearby Snohomish.

Washington Gold Cider Original Cider

This crisp and refreshing cider is crafted on a family-owned farm in beautiful Chelan from Washington-grown apples.

Farm Fresh Eggs

Our small flock of heritage breed laying hens gives us fresh eggs in beautiful shades of brown, blue and green. With the shorter days of fall, the girls are up with the sun to roam the outdoors where they still enjoy the warm afternoons. Bedtime is coming much earlier now, as we see them heading into their house to roost as the sun is going down.

Wei Kitchen Organic Shallot Oil & Amber Vinegar

The artisanal products from this South Lake Union company are all-natural and 100-percent homemade, bursting with the bright culinary flavors of Vietnam. This dynamic oil and vinegar pairing brings lovely nuances of flavor to Asian-inspired dishes and more—the infused safflower oil boasts health benefits and is derived from shallots fried to a golden crisp; the organic-certified vinegar (made with organic rice vinegar) is a family recipe that adds sweet, subtle flavor to fresh greens, rice, or noodles. See this week’s recipes for more ideas!

Toasted Black Sesame Seeds

These toasted seeds lend a subtle crunch to salads, or to this week’s stir-fry—the perfect finishing touch.

Spanish Black Radish

With a jet-black exterior and creamy white flesh, this spicy, crunchy radish variety is high in vitamin C, potassium and magnesium.

Ripe Pears

Fresh Bosc pears from Tonnemaker Family Orchard.

Seasonal Organic Fruits & Vegetables

This week’s produce selection also includes cranberry shelling beans, green onions, Cipollini onions, French Breakfast radishes, celery, red-cored Chantenay carrots, Savoy cabbage, golden cherry tomatoes and sweet red Bullhorn peppers.

Seasonal Organic Greens

A beautiful selection of fresh spinach and spicy Mesclun greens.

Fresh Garden Herbs

Organically-grown Italian flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, shallots and garlic.