BRUNSWICK, Maine — A farm share is a wonderful thing. You receive a bounty of fresh, local vegetables every week, lug the box home, plunk it on the kitchen table — but then what?
Faced with a crop of cilantro, lemon cucumbers, radishes and new potatoes, you rack your brain for a recipe. What if someone took the guesswork out of this equation? Someone has.
In downtown Brunswick, the crafty people at Local Market dreamed up a farm box meal kit this summer. “Think local produce CSA for the commitment averse,” co-owner Sharon Smiley said of her twist on community supported agriculture.
In the market’s kitchen, chef Stephanie Danahy whisks up a yogurt garlic sauce and pours it into a mason jar. She tucks the dressing next to fresh — already cut — chicken from L & P Bisson and Sons Meat Market & Farm in nearby Topsham. A stunning head of organic romaine from Left Field Farm in Bowdoinham is nestled next to new red potatoes from White Oak Farm in Warren.
But that’s far from all.
A pouch of croutons, a container of grated Parmesan cheese, skewers and yellow cukes join the party. Last week’s meal, marinated skewered chicken with grilled romaine, Caesar dressing and red new potatoes could be prepared in a half-hour. Each week subscribers receive a new harvest and new recipe for two.
“Our customers who come in to grab ready-made dinners just want to cook one night,” Smiley said. The kit comes with a list of instructions and identifies where the ingredients came from. “We thought that it was important that people know where their food is coming from.”
For busy people, including the team at Sotheby’s International Realty across Maine Street, the concept works. Not only are subscribers dining in style without much thought, they are cooking and eating well in a snap. It’s not a failsafe for those who hate to cook, however.
“You still have an active part in dinner. This just makes it really easy so you don’t have to make your own sauce, make your own dressing. I think that’s a deterrent for people because it seems like a lot of work,” Danahy said. “This way you can simply enjoy it because you know it’s local — you know it’s fresh.”
And you know you are helping local farmers while fine tuning your culinary skills on the fly.
“This gives farmers an added venue to sell their produce and visibility,” said Smiley, who promotes each week’s box on social media a few days before they are ready to be picked up.
“The farmers work incredibly hard. It’s putting a face behind the vegetables. They put so many hours in and sometimes can’t envision the end user of what they grow. Here they can imagine it,” Smiley said.
At roughly $30 per week, consumers would be hard pressed to dine out this well.
“We’ve had no pushback on price. People have told us this seems like a lot of bang for your buck,” Smiley said.
Before launching, the pair studied recipe delivery services, such as Blue Apron. They were not wholly impressed.
“Some things looked fabulous and some did not. Here, we get the vegetables right before you walk through the door,” Danahy said.
And you’re cooking and dining in no time.
“My goal is, you take this box home and have a meal in 30 minutes. You want it easy and mindless so you can sip wine with your partner,” chef Danahy said.
Other meal ideas, such as steak dinners with caprese salad and fresh pasta are, in the lineup.
“We are always thinking, what’s next?” Danahy said. “Once we get this routine down, we can do family packages.”
Smiley, who hopes to offer shares into October, said the initiative is keeping her engaged.
“We’ve been open for four years, and we still want to try new concepts and ideas,” she said. “It helps us maintain the energy.”
