Anyone checking out your Instagram feed would think you cook All The Time— and love to use locally-sourced ingredients (kale, obviously) with add-ins like chia and hemp seeds #onfleek. But with the kid routine, work and a carpool to run, actual dinners are more of a tossup. Now that warmer temps are on their way (yay!), it’s time to step up your healthy eating game – now. Bergen Mama Dining Editor Carla Sullivan finds local dinner delivery services that are right on your schedule.
From Scratch (http://www.fromscratchridgewood.com/)
Scratch offers a seasonal, mostly Italian-based menu, sourcing local, organic ingredients, and they limit their use of pepper so that your children can enjoy their meals. There are a range of items to choose from – pastas, salads, soups, quiches, chicken, beef and seafood – all priced in the $30 - $50 range, serving four or more people. Favorites include The Hearts of Romaine Lettuce With Apples and Walnuts ($30), the Mezze Maniche alla Amatriciana ($35), a simple pasta dish with a pork and tomato sauce, and the Meatloaf With Ham and Cheese ($35) comfort food at its best. Our kids ate everything – so did hubby – and there were plenty of leftovers.
Kale & Co (201-771-0127, http://kaleandco.org)
A food cleanse delivery service started by local mamas and nutritionists Tori Hoen and Stacey Faske, Kale & Co is like having your own nutritionist on hand. Choose from either a 3-day or 5-day program, and get three cooked meals per day delivered to your home, plus a snack. No juices – this is all real food, and meals arrive pre cooked, so all you have to do is warm things up when you’re ready to eat. The menu is mostly set: favorites Energy Bites Snacks (almond butter balls), rice bowls, and soups. All meals are gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, and don’t contain any soy, sugar, caffeine or GMO ingredients.
Big Red House Soups (917.687.6450, http://bigredhousesoup.com/) Cold winters call for soup- by the quart. And Emily Pancer, local mama and creator of Big Red House Soups has got you covered with her weekly supply of preservative-free soups loaded with fresh vegetables, beans and grains, and hormone-free meats. Orders are taken Mondays for pickup/delivery on Wednesday. Delivery is available to select local towns and pickup is available in three locations (Glen Rock, Tenafly, Wyckoff and Whole Foods Locations) as well. After running through the super-easy online order system, Big Red House won our hearts with their heart healthy Veggie Chili- which was CHOCK full of fresh corn, tomatoes and beans –and the Mellow Butternut Squash- so fresh you could taste almost every ingredient. Springtime brings with it Emily’s “just picked” Gazpacho, which brings the garden to your dinner table.
Savory Thymes(201-444-6693, www.savorythymescatering.com) A full blown caterer on most days, Savory Thymes offers delish, home-cooked fare to families three times a week via pickup in Wyckoff or Glen Rock or through delivery (within 10 miles of Ridgewood) for a small charge. Meals start with a salad, offer a choice of two entrees and are served with a starch, side veggie and fresh bread. Weekly specials can include offerings like “Oversized Meatballs in Marinara” and “Stuffed Flounder”, while standards like Panko Chicken Tenders and Three Cheese Mac n Cheese are always on the menu. We relished the Chicken Scarparello served with lemony Angel Hair Pasta, and loved the “more than adequate” portions served in separate containers for freshness. Plus, the detailed heating instructions were “extremely helpful” and ensured the homemade taste was kept in tact.
The Catch-y Caterer (917-721-9217, www.thecatchycaterer.com): Erin Cacciabaudo, trained chef/caterer and mom of four, knows a thing or two about juggling work and family life. We love her “Mom’s Night Off” concept, where she offers fresh, locally sourced foods for pickup. Menus are sent weekly via email and pickups happen on Tuesdays at the Community Church in Ho-Ho-Kus. Offerings change weekly, but we relished in the Buffalo Chicken Salad ($12.95) and the very light Chinese Chopped Chicken Salad ($12.95), and our kids munched on the Panko Crusted White Meat Chicken Fingers ($9 for a ½ lb) and devoured the Puree of Creamy Carrot Soup ($11 a quart). All portions were ample enough to use for lunch the next day, making this mama even more relaxed.
Silver Birch Kitchens (908-876-0160, http://www.silverbirchkitchens.com/) Husband and wife team Jessica and Marc Geanoules have spent most of their lives in the culinary business. Silver Birch posts weekly menus on Thursdays for order by Sundays at noon- delivery and pickup happens on Wednesdays between 11am and 3pm (free for orders over $75). Standouts included a very fresh and light Shepard Salad ($7/pint) comprised of chopped tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, bell peppers, Kalamata olives & Feta Cheese and the Chicken Fajitas ($10) which was served with sauteed peppers and onions, cheddar, house made salsa & guacamole, flour tortillas and Carnival Rice.
