Imperfect, Misfit, Etc. (The Food Delivery Services)

[Anna N]

On 4/15/2021 at 12:07 PM, kayb said:

 

Damned if I know. I ordered parsnips. These came. I'm not real certain what they are.

 

Any update?

[weinoo]

Horseradish?

 

@KennethT  - I get very nice, fresh cilantro (often with roots and dirt still attached), both on Grand St. and at Essex Market. 

[dtremit]

On 1/11/2021 at 11:26 AM, dtremit said:

Thinking of trying a new, local option in this genre this week — Friday Food Market. I don't know much about them, but a local shop published a referral code the other day. Apparently they work with local distributors and clear out excess inventory at the end of the week — you select items online on Friday, and they drop off the items on Saturday. Will be interesting to see what their prices are like — they apparently vary week to week, so you don't know until the store opens Friday morning.

 

FINALLY placed an order with these folks this week. Not for lack of trying — they open their ordering window at 6am on Friday, and by the time I wake up, there has almost never been enough left that I want to fulfill a minimum order. It seems like they're going to three days a week, so there was enough this week for me to get a good selection.

 

 

This was the haul — nicest surprise was that the "Green chili" turned out to be Thai chiles. I don't think I've ever seen Imperfect offer anything hotter than a jalapeño. A few things had some cosmetic issues but nothing was bruised or inedible. And it was all $25.50 delivered. 

Really hoping the better availability this week wasn't a fluke.

 

Edited to add: their packaging is also really minimal, since they deliver by local truck or van. Aside from the bags / clamshell, everything was just in two brown paper grocery bags.

Edited April 25, 2021 by dtremit (log)

[KennethT]

4 minutes ago, weinoo said:

 

@KennethT  - I get very nice, fresh cilantro (often with roots and dirt still attached), both on Grand St. and at Essex Market. 

oh yeah, I used to get it at the old Essex market on the off chance I could get down there.  Great quality and much cheaper than almost anywhere else... probably because of the large Latino clientele.  I was wondering how the prices have changed since the Essex market moved into their new (and fancy) digs.

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, KennethT said:

oh yeah, I used to get it at the old Essex market on the off chance I could get down there.  Great quality and much cheaper than almost anywhere else... probably because of the large Latino clientele.  I was wondering how the prices have changed since the Essex market moved into their new (and fancy) digs.

Not really much different at the places you'd remember from the old market. Remeber, the city is not charging them more for their rent, per square foot.  The new tenants are a different story. But they're also selling stuff you couldn't get at the old market.

[kayb]

On 4/25/2021 at 9:27 AM, Anna N said:

Any update?

 

Sadly, no. I've been on vacation at the beach (much seafood!). These were stashed in green bags in the fridge.

 

I'll deal with them in the next day or so. But I really think they're horseradish.

 

WTF does one do with horseradish to get it from this form to useable? I have no experience.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

54 minutes ago, kayb said:

 

Sadly, no. I've been on vacation at the beach (much seafood!). These were stashed in green bags in the fridge.

 

I'll deal with them in the next day or so. But I really think they're horseradish.

 

WTF does one do with horseradish to get it from this form to useable? I have no experience.

 

 

Thank you, thank you!  I'd been wondering the same thing myself.  The last horseradish I bought eventually went soft and spoiled.  Cookbook authors cheerfully call out for "prepared horseradish" but they never share a clue how to actually prepare it.

 

[lemniscate]

1 hour ago, kayb said:

WTF does one do with horseradish to get it from this form to useable? I have no experience.

I think they're giant parsnips.  

 

I don't think its horseradish.  It grew wild on our farm and those would be the weirdest horseradish roots I've ever seen.   If it were horseradish, your fridge would be very fragrant by now.   To make horseradish, blender, vinegar, salt, gas mask.  Do it outside.  You have been warned.

 

Edited May 2, 2021 by lemniscate (log)

[weinoo]

I think it's horseradish.

 

I like to grate it and use it just like that. for small amounts, you don't need to go outside.

 

If you do it as outlined above (blender style with other stuff), that's prepared!

[Shelby]

@kaybI'm coming over and getting in your fridge.  The suspense is killing me.

[heidih]

@kayb   Elderly celeriac perhaps? Your nose may be your best guide.

[Smithy]

On 5/1/2021 at 9:51 PM, lemniscate said:

I think they're giant parsnips.  

 

I don't think its horseradish.  It grew wild on our farm and those would be the weirdest horseradish roots I've ever seen.   If it were horseradish, your fridge would be very fragrant by now.   To make horseradish, blender, vinegar, salt, gas mask.  Do it outside.  You have been warned.

 

 

@kayb, I agree they look like weird horseradish roots - if that's what they are - but I have seen them split. I remember digging one up from its happy place too near the house foundation. It wasn't nearly as thick, but it had split into two segments as it went deeper. 

 

To prepare horseradish, lemniscate has the most of it...except I'd start with a fine grater (food processor) rather than blender. My blender, at least, wouldn't handle the fibers. A little bit of hand-grating is a simple test to see whether it's really horseradish. Believe me, the released juices will clear up any mysteries (and sinuses) if it is! The more vinegar you add, the more potent it will be.

 

The horseradish I've bought at grocery stores, incidentally, would happily resprout and take root. If it's horseradish, you may have the gift that keeps on giving. Just be sure to plant it in some sort of confinement.

[heidih]

2 hours ago, Smithy said:

 

@kayb, I

The horseradish I've bought at grocery stores, incidentally, would happily resprout and take root. If it's horseradish, you may have the gift that keeps on giving. Just be sure to plant it in some sort of confinement.

Exactly!  friend planted it out in her garden and the gardener has never been able to eradicate it. it is even happy under her huge navel orange tree.

[weinoo]

Here is some horseradish I took a picture of this morning while at Essex Market...

 

[kayb]

They were, in fact, parsnips. Which is what I'd ordered. Just big parsnips.

[heidih]

Hopefully not woody

[Shelby]

Imperfect

 

 

The American Single cheese is awful.  Not their fault.  It tastes like wax.  Chum and Scout will enjoy it lol.

[Shelby]

Misfits

 

 

They have changed their ordering process.  Instead of picking like six items from group one, six items from group two and then two from group three, you are able to choose from all that they have and each item is separately priced --much like Imperfect Foods.  I have to hit a minimum of $30 and, of course, you can go higher.

[BeeZee]

My Mom ordered from Misfits or Imperfect (sorry, forgot which one) and she was generally happy with what she got. The oddballs were baseball bat sized zucchinis, couple of lemons a bit on the small side, one orange that looked pretty bad. So really only one item that wasn't useable. She gave me a container of baby arugula which had a best by date of 5/9 (she had received it earlier in the week) which is on its last legs, it probably wasn't stored properly. She felt it was a bit too much produce for just the 2 of them, so she might just use the service once a month.

[Shelby]

Imperfect

 

 

Misfits has morphed again and they now even more like Imperfect.  They are offering meat and seafood now.  But, I'm confused.  I read the statement like a million times and I swear it says that any meat and seafood that you order are included in my $30 minimum.  But, I hit my minimum and included an order of fish and later I got an email saying my order was still unfinished meaning I had to also hit the $30 minimum on just the meat order meaning it would have been a total of sixty dollars.....So, I took the fish out of my cart and just stuck with the fruits and veggies.  I am going to email them later for clarification.

[weinoo]

My guess is that it'll all be one big company after a while!

[gfweb]

I thought I had cancelled Imperfect but a box just arrived a day late, covered in some crystallized liquid. Wilted veg and questionably refrigerated pork and salmon. Giant red onion, tiny potatoes, cukes, mandarin oranges, jurassic sweet potato, cherry tomatoes rolling around in the box..

 

Who knows what the liquid was.

 

[gfweb]

14 minutes ago, weinoo said:

My guess is that it'll all be one big company after a while!

My guess is that they'll all be out of business. 

 

I love the concept, but they have given me stuff I can't use. How many softball -sized red onions does one need in a week?  Or golf ball sized lemons?

 

They sell the idea that is ugly but perfectly usable stuff. I haven't found that to be the case.

 

I marvel at the pretty food you all get.

Edited May 17, 2021 by gfweb (log)

[Shelby]

6 hours ago, gfweb said:

My guess is that they'll all be out of business. 

 

I love the concept, but they have given me stuff I can't use. How many softball -sized red onions does one need in a week?  Or golf ball sized lemons?

 

They sell the idea that is ugly but perfectly usable stuff. I haven't found that to be the case.

 

I marvel at the pretty food you all get.

I think the hub that you get your order out of must realllllly suck.  My stuff is a God send--and it is for my mom too.  I don't mind the odd sized items at all.......but I've seen your stuff be almost rotten or rotten.  

[kayb]

Agreed. I think your warehouse sucks, as mine, other than that one week during the blizzard, has been in excellent shape. I'm sure their warehouses are 3PL setups -- I'd email 'em and tell them their middleman sucks. It would be doing them a favor.

 

Edited May 18, 2021 by kayb (log)