Food prep

For most of the last two years or so we received a weekly basket of fresh, organic produce from a local farm. Unfortunately, the farm closed recently and even more unfortunate is that we can no longer afford these deliveries, even though we have found a great replacement. Money is tight right now and that means thinking differently about what/how we prepare food.

Unlike many other highly developed "first world" societies, living on a budget here does not mean making due with fast food and canned veggies. Instead, the easiest way to eat on a budget is to eat well. Health, fresh, local produce is far cheaper than fries at McDonald's.

I remember one Friday afternoon we had not yet prepared anything for shabbat. We hadn't bought nor planned anything. But a quick assessment of the fridge and pantry revealed a head of purple cabbage, two heads of fresh broccoli, a couple of granny smith apples, whole wheat pasta, frozen green beans, a head of fresh cauliflower, and some veggie "ground beef" in the freezer. This, to us, was a normal sort of random collection of foods and veggies often four in our home. The resulting meal (spaghetti with "meatballs", German red cabbage with apples, Chinese-style roasted broccoli and cauliflower in brown sauce) was delicious and we didn't spend a single extra penny to make it (as opposed to regular shabbats which often include about 100 shekels worth of purchases).

We had a repeat [frugal shabbat] performance this past weekend (with an even more extensive menu) and though it stems out of not being able to afford much else, it delights me that our bare bones, cheap-o meals included fresh butternut squash, zucchini, potatoes, sweet potatoes, frozen spinach, dried green lentils, brown rice, whole grain couscous, a few eggs and whole bunch of spices. How fresh, healthy, delicious, and economical!