Sometimes, I like to imagine that I live a more glamorous food blogger existence. One in which lunch is more than a hodgepodge of cookbook leftovers, and I make myself proper dinners every night. This all takes place in my lovely, subway-tiled, self-cleaning kitchen (a girl can dream!). My reality is far different. I’ve been intensely focused on photographing the breakfast chapter for my cookbook, so I have been living in yoga pants and surviving on scones lately. My dining table has moved to the middle of my living room, and a tripod now stands where my coffee table usually goes. Everything is a mess.
With impeccable timing, Blue Apron offered to send me three meal’s worth of ingredients (two portions each), complete with simple instructions on how to make them. They basically fed me a proper lunch for the first time in a week. It was amazing. I could have cried. When life gets super busy, it’s so easy for healthy meals to fall by the wayside. Good dinners are more than just fuel—they’re a time to rest, recharge and connect with friends and family. They’re important, and they don’t make themselves.
Blue Apron makes dinners easier by shipping perfectly portioned, sustainably produced ingredients with simple, chef-created menus. I almost felt a little guilty accepting outside help, and I was worried about creating more waste with extra packaging. I was relieved when I opened the box to see that they have totally minimized the packaging (no styrofoam!), and even offer recycling programs. I’m going to ship my box back to them (for free) via USPS—here’s more information about their recycling options. During this hectic time, it was quite a relief to know that I had all the ingredients I needed waiting for me in the refrigerator. Blue Apron deliveries seem like a perfect solution for particularly busy weeks, or for date nights in, or for the first week at a new house. I can see myself gifting a shipment to new parents who love to cook, too.
So today, I’m sharing the delightful roasted sweet potato and farro salad that Blue Apron shipped to me. It’s something that I would normally cook, but I wouldn’t have thought to add a Middle Eastern spin to it with mint, ricotta salata and sumac. Sumac is a reddish spice with a delicious, almost lemony, tart flavor. You can peruse more of Blue Apron’s recipes over here, no membership or purchase required. If you want to try Blue Apron for yourself, they’re offering a special to Cookie and Kate readers—the first 50 readers will get two free meals on their first Blue Apron order! Just click here.
This post was created in partnership with Blue Apron and I received compensation for my participation. Opinions are my own, always. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who support C+K!
