OTV

One Wednesday last month there was a box on a table in the parish office. When I picked it up to see what it was, it was not light. Through holes, green peeked out. On one end was “Smith,” and Madge said it was organic fruits and vegetables from Off the Vine. http://www.offthevine.org/puflorida.html. Never heard of it. Headquartered in Fort Walton Beach, they deliver weekly throughout the Florida Panhandle to pickup points from Pensacola to Tallahassee. In Panama City it’s to Somethin’s Cookin’ on 11th Street every Wednesday for pickup between nine and five. 

After exploring the website that evening we placed an order, for delivery every other Wednesday (you can subscribe for weekly, every other week, monthly, or whatever). In the box are fruits and vegetables, a different assortment each time. We are enjoying them, and having plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and my snacks are healthier because somebody's got to eat all this fruit. 

In business since 2002, the company also offers grass-fed beef, pork, lamb and poultry, and we may try the lamb, our favorite meat. Steaks were a favorite until the heart nonsense stopped all salting of food. Besides black bean burgers, ground beef can be spiced and peppered up for the occasional hamburger, but a red rare steak needs a mound of sea salt on the plate’s rim for lightly touching each bite. Maybe it was the salt I loved and not the beef. 

Packed in the box of vegetables and fruits is a bottle of water, frozen, to keep things chilled until they’re picked up. This is not a commercial, but we are enjoying it, though our favored grocery stores are still The Carousel and Grocery Outlet.

Tom