Today is one of the first installments you’re going to see for a new show that we’re producing called The Big Food Talk. This was previously recorded live on Facebook. and features Misfits Market.
Have you ever wanted to buy organic produce but your biggest complaint is that it’s too costly? Misfits Market solves that problem. Basically, they take imperfect produce and deliver it right to your door on a weekly basis.
Misfits Market has two types of subscriptions boxes:
The Mischief Box
- Our smaller, starter box ($35-$40 worth of grocery store or farmers’ market produce)
- Approx. 10-12 lbs. of organic mixed fruits and veggies (seasonal produce may include leafy greens—kale, lettuce, arugula—squash, cauliflower, tomatoes, potatoes, apples, peaches, plums, celery, cabbage). Weight of box may vary based on type of produce & season!
- Serves 1-2 people for a week
- Ideal for cooking some meals, snacking, etc.
Madness Box
- Larger selection and variety ($65-$70 worth of grocery store or farmers’ market produce)
- Approx. 18-20 lbs. of organic mixed fruits and veggies (seasonal produce may include leafy greens—kale, lettuce, arugula—squash, cauliflower, tomatoes, potatoes, apples, peaches, plums, celery, cabbage). Weight of box may vary based on type of produce & season!
- Serves 4-5 people for a week
- Ideal for families and households that cook daily
Misfits Market Coupon
If you’d like an offer for 25% off your first box click here http://misfitsmarket.refr.cc/salvatoreconca
What’s In A Misfits Market Box?
This is our first Misfits Market box and I decided to order based on a lot of feedback and reviews from friends I know who eat organic food regularly.
Our goal at the Big Food Talk is to feature products and pioneers making an impact with food. We’re always looking for inspiration and new ways to try different products for recipes that we’re creating around Big Lou’s Onion Sauce
Misfits Markets organic produce is a great way to get inspired and will stick around in our home for a while.
Part of the surprise is that you don’t know exactly what will be in your box until it arrives. It arrived on time and was packaged nicely and everything looks to be of high quality, direct from the farm. Unfortunately, in my video what I thought was a styrofoam cooler box couldn’t have been further from the truth.
“We pride ourselves in offering some of the most forward-thinking packaging on the market. We use BioBags, which are fully compostable via municipal/industrial composting services, in lieu of plastic produce bags. Our boxes are made from recycled cardboard and are recyclable themselves.
We use a few types of eco-friendly insulation in our boxes; among them are curbside-recyclable paper packaging with a recycled newspaper interior and insulation with a cornstarch base that’s fully home compostable. To compost the latter, simply cut the recyclable green film exterior (recycle with other #4 plastics) and remove the insulating panels. You can then dissolve the panels under hot water in your sink in about 60 seconds, submerge them in a bucket of water to dissolve overnight (the resulting solution makes great plant food!), burn them, or compost them.”
In my first box I received an heirloom cherry tomatoes which is one of the things we use on salads in our home almost daily. I can think about making some fresh pizzas with the tomatoes or a fresh tomato salad with some red peppers, red onions and cucumbers. I usually buy these types of tomatoes at the supermarket and these were way more cost-effective.
Next up in the box is a bag of fruit. Organic Gala apples, four in total. These are another staple in my home. We eat apples on the regular so that’s going to be really helpful and one less thing I need to shop for this week.
What is Imperfect Produce?
When they say “imperfect” it’s important to note they don’t mean bruised. Imperfect produce means it wasn’t good enough for the supermarket. It’s like the ugly duckling of produce. If you’re not familiar, many farms throw away imperfect product because it’s unsalable. What Misfits Market is doing is truly ingenious and a benefit to us as consumers and the farmers. It’s cost-effective for the consumer, it helps support the local farmers with produce they would otherwise have to lose money on while creating an ecosystem that drives down the cost for everyone. Farmers make more money and consumers have better access to organic produce.
At first glance, I wasn’t sure if the box contained Kale. I ended up rattling off a bunch of ideas like sauteing it with onions as a side. Kale chips became the obvious choice with a bit of celtic grey salt to snack on.
Carrots came out of the box next which never go to waste. We roast them, we put them in chicken soup or we shred them on top of a salad. Gotta love that good source beta-carotene for the eyes as my mom used to tell me even though I still wear glasses. I guess I didn’t eat enough carrots. Sorry Mom.
Two cucumbers were in the box as well. What blew my mind about them was that somehow, they were considered imperfect. These cucumbers look perfect to me. I see no issue with them, they look delicious and fresh like they were picked out of your own garden. I put them with the heirloom tomatoes and made a nice salad for lunch.
More fruit is always a treat. We had some brown pears in the box. My biggest fear while doing a live unboxing is not knowing the exact name of everything but I was pretty sure they were Bartlett pears. Someone corrected me in the comments and told me they were indeed Bosc pears.
The head of cabbage came in handy. I originally suggested shredding it for cole slaw but this time around we used it to make stuffed cabbage with ground beef and tomato sauce.
We had 2 organic onions which is awesome! We could never have a shortage of onions in this house so these are always appreciated. But seriously, onions just go with everything. So many dishes from every nationality use the onion as a base for flavor.
How Well Do You Know Your Produce?
The next veggie was a challenge and I didn’t get it right. Misfits Market really put me to the challenge. I was doubting my veggie knowledge every step of the way. My gut reaction was parsnip but I quickly retracted that statement. I couldn’t see the comments but eventually my cousin who’s worked in produce for decades straightened me out.
Turns out it was a turnip which we ended up using with our carrots to make a lovely chicken soup in the crock pot.
I do a lot of meal prep at home especially on the weekends. The idea is to have Misfits Market delivered on Fridays, I see what’s in the box and then I’m gonna be able to decide if I need to pick anything else up at the supermarket this weekend.
On Saturday or Sunday, we roast off a ton of organic veggies for the week on sheet pans or Pyrex roasting pans in the oven around 425. We simply dress them with some olive oil, salt and pepper and just roast em. Now I have side dishes ready to go no matter what protein we make during the week. Whether it’s burgers or some steaks or just some roasted chicken or grilled chicken.
Last but not least, we had a huge red beet in the box. My girlfriend will be thrilled about this since she loves beets. Beets are a staple in the Polish community and they’re great for so many things. I love them as well.
I was hoping to get inspired and make a little beet and goat cheese salad but it ended up just getting roasted with our other veggies for the weekend.
All in all, I couldn’t be any happier with the produce we received. It’s a really great opportunity to get your organic veggies at a more reasonable price than what they’re overcharging you at many of the supermarkets. Many times, I buy produce at Trader Joe’s and they do a great job with some things but their produce is not what I would call as fresh as I’d like it
If you’re interested in getting discount on Misfits market use my referral link for 25% off http://misfitsmarket.refr.cc/salvatoreconca
If you want to see more content like this please like comment share and also leave in the comments on what other food companies you think are making a big impact or other companies you’d like me to feature, talk about or even bring on for an interview.
