I got my first organic vegetable box around 13 years ago. It wasn’t a box; it was a yellow carrier bag, and it cost £5 each week. You just got what they gave you and had to pick it up from a local health food shop. At a time when you couldn’t get organic vegetables at all in supermarkets, it was quite a novelty and I didn’t know anyone else who had one.

Over the years different companies have come and gone and I have tried a number of vegetable boxes. I’m particularly happy with the company I use at the moment. I can let them know if there are ingredients we don’t want (in our case that’s parsnips and sprouts. I like both but my husband won’t touch them so they end up rotting). I can also let them know if there’s something I don’t want that particular week. I think that’s true of most companies these days, so if you are worried by the thoughts of hundreds of turnips, then don’t be!

I do like eating organic food and most of what we get in the box is local and seasonal. But my favourite part of getting a vegetable box is that it forces me to try new things and be creative. If I go shopping and choose my own I’ll end up with the same stuff each week. Some of our favourite dishes have only ever been tried because we had some vegetable box ingredients to use up. It isn’t always easy, especially with a slightly fussy husband to cook for. But I think its well worth it.

As I write, the list of what we’re getting this week has just appeared on the website. For just £10 I’ll get potatoes, carrots, onions, leeks, cabbage, purple sprouting broccoli, cucumber, aubergine and something to replace the parsnips (or more of something else). My mind is already racing – Paul Gayler’s recipe for pasta with chickpeas and purple sprouting broccoli? Or will I be able to find farro for that lovely looking Denis Cotter recipe? Cabbage Thoran from Rose Elliot? – and where have I recently seen a recipe for potato and carrot curry that could go with it? I’ve still got a celeriac left from last week – shall I make mash with it tonight? And can I use up the rest of last weeks leeks at the same time? And what on earth will I do with the cucumber – get some vegan yoghurt and make raita for the curry? Make some salad with it for work lunch boxes? And just how much of it will go in soup?

It’s not always easy, but it is always fun, and definitely forces me to try some things. It supports small businesses and local farmers. The box is reused many times and nothing in it is individually wrapped so it cuts down on packaging. It tastes great and it keeps my meals healthy and varied. What’s not to like??

Here a couple of on-line recipes I like which use up some of my veg box ingredients very well! Do let me know your favourites!

Thai hot and sour salad with crispy tofu
You can put lots of combinations of veg in it but it MUST include the swede. I usually use carrot, peppers, swede and spring onions. I like the Taifun Japanese tofu for this dish.

Chickpea noodle soup
I always include the greens – cabbage, spinach or kale. I can’t find celery seeds anywhere so I use fennel seeds instead. About the only soup my husband will eat as a main meal!

Ginger sesame noodles with broccoli
Great just as it is!