DAYS OF OUR LEAVES WITH FRESH DIRECT

Tales of my stay at and leave of Fairview Nursing and Care Center continues as a soap opera. I will get to that in the next issue.  For now, I would like to focus on what I needed to be waiting for me when I got home…food.  Having already gotten more than a little help from my friends, I decided to place an order via Fresh Direct. 

As in Pea Pod, you have to rely on the food store to choose the best of what you want as well as noting how it arrives.  Not that it was the most important, but I found that both Pea Pod and Fresh Direct not to deliver my ice cream in a frozen state.

I chose each item for a different purpose.  Let’s begin with one of a huge variety of 4-minute meals.  

They are pre-cooked and all you have to do is microwave.  I decided to sample the Ginger Teriyaki Chicken.  I did not heat it up.  I think I got used to the temperature of the food at Fairview.  Chicken breast was a decent size and came with a nutty sprouted grain hijiki pilaf, and steamed veggies of broccoli, snow peas, carrots and so tender enoki mushrooms.  Sauce enhanced the entrée and well worth the price of about $9.  You would certainly pay a lot more at a restaurant.  Great idea for when company is coming and each person desires a different cuisine. 

Meat test.  Pork without antibiotics.  Opted for a rib-in pork loin chop.  Beef – Loin t-bone steak, high quality to compare to eating at a steak house.  I have to keep in mind that I am the one cooking it!  Oops, did cook it to first find that just about the entire tenderloin portion had been removed prior to it being vacuum packed.  Big disappointment!!

Another meat…organic ground beef patties was $9.99 lb. May not be organic but a company called Pat LaFrieda has a less expensive variety including a blend of short rib, chuck, shoulder and brisket for $6.99 lb and on sale you can get two or more pounds for $5.99 lb. 

Fish.  I went for a whole snapper and asked to have them filet it and include the parts cut off.  Got four portions out of it and froze the bones for a soup stock.  Quite fresh and a good choice for a meaty and tender fish.  Fried it with ginger and a bit of olive oil. 

Had to have a half-gallon of milk and Fresh Direct has a variety of Ronnybrook dairy.  Pasteurized but not homogenized. Mmmmm.  Went well with the blondies from their bakery department.  Okay, but I would still rather have Fairytale Brownies.

Fruits and vegetables are a must.  Blueberries are in season.  Would they be sweet and tasty?  Family Tree Farms Jumbo Ultra Premium were ultra good.  I need a bit of citrus so I went for a couple of Farm Fresh Pixie seedless tangerines and eating half at a time as a snack.  Variety of avocados to choose from. I opted for Shanley Farms Gator Eggs. These small size avocados come in an egg carton.  Perfect portion. 

I was looking for a package of dried fruit and really hit a homer on their brand of dried mangoes that come in a resealable bag.  Rather than simple chew on them, I soak a few pieces in water, chop in up and combine with an avocado or just chew a much softer piece as a snack.  The leftover water makes for an excellent juice. 

Onto vegetables.  I wanted to test an artichoke to see if I would be given one that is totally green and closed.  Yes, it was.  Would you pay $5 for one artichoke?  It was so totally worth it! Fully closed, no brown spots and all I needed to do was place in a pot, water about 1/3 up from choke and drizzle with olive oil.  This was by far the best artichoke I ever had!  Next time I will stuff it with ground pork and Panko with Italian seasonings.

There is this new product from a company called Organic Girl.  Mache Rosettes.  Very delicious greens!  If I’m going to have potatoes I want ones that I don’t need to add salt, butter or anything else.  Ruby Micro Potatoes.  Bake in my NuWave oven and pop them in my mouth.  Great side to the steak that I also cooked along with it. 

Being a chocoholic I noticed a brand that I haven’t tried called Antica Dolceria Bonojuto Dark Chocolate.  I opted for the bar that also contained cardamom.  Wow was that good.  Savored it by eating two small squares at a time and only once per day. 

Here is the sum of it.  Fresh Direct has their own brands of food as well as many that are most likely not available at your nearby supermarket.  They get new products quite often and items do go on sale.  You can expect the best in most cases and if you are not satisfied, you can call them, explain and get credit.  Delivery has a minimum order of $30 in most of the Tri-State area.  However, you are welcome to place an order and pick it up at their facility in Long Island City.  www.freshdirect.com