Signing up to reduce food waste leads to experiments in the kitchen

I never have, in my life, bought a plum. They weren’t on the family table when I was growing up. I never felt a hankering for plum pudding. And yet, when I signed up for a weekly delivery by Ungraded Produce, I was faced with the prospect of cooking several. It turns out the mild fruit makes a pretty good addition to custard.

I’d also never cooked a white sweet potato or bought a gold kiwi until subscribing to the produce delivery service based in Hillsborough, N.C. I didn’t know they came in those colors. That’s one of my favorite features about Ungraded Produce, which rescues “ugly” or surplus fruits and vegetables from a wide range of food producers and suppliers. I love supporting local farmers, but I also love the surprises that pop up in a produce box that isn’t limited by season and locale. And I appreciate their mission of reducing the amount of crops that rot in the field or that get tossed at the grocery store. Ungraded Produce also donates produce to local food banks, helping the community and the farmers who face the significant cost of harvesting food to give it away.

Were you inspired to cook something new with what came in your produce box? Let us know about it below.