On Saturday I took the plunge and bought an eco-canasta. It means eco-basket in English. It is a pre-sorted bag of organically grown produce. I bought it of course for my own personal use, but more so as a challenge. Given a pre-selected basked of fruits and vegetables, could I use it all throughout the week, make healthy meals, and not let any go to waste?
Here’s what the basket (it actually came in a bag) contained:
- More than a dozen small green peppers
- About 10 small tomatoes (they were not very good)
- 2 plantains
- 2 medium-size eggplants
- Green beans
- Scallions
- 1 Watermelon
- 2 Guavas
- 2 Cucumbers
And holy cow is that a lot of produce for one person! I’m writing this Wednesday evening, and I still have yet to use a cucumber, the green beans, some scallions, half of the watermelon, an eggplant, and a plantain. Plus I still have plenty of leftovers in the fridge, prepared with the produce in the eco-canasta. My mom used to belong to an organic food co-op and I know it was difficult for her to use all of the produce. For just one person, I am finding this to be very challenging and a ton of food.
Wondering how much all of this food costs? 190 Nicaraguan Córdobas, which is equivalent to a whopping $6.80. That’s expensive here. I could go to the market and probably pick up the same haul for less.
What have I made so far?
- Tzatziki sauce (Greek cucumber yogurt dip)
- Quinoa gallo pinto stuffed green peppers
- Ratatouille
- Sauteed plantains
Later this week I will probably make more tzatziki, more sauteed plantains, something with the string beans, and fried eggplant chips.
Usually I don’t care for food pictures on social media, but this calls for an exception:
If you are in León and interested in the eco-canasta, it is sold every Saturday at Casa Abierta Restaurant, which is right behind the hospital, in front of the emergency room. Usually the sale starts at 10 AM, and they always post it on their Facebook page.
They also sell homemade food products. I’ve seen cheeses, banana bread, jams, marmalade and chutneys, plus fresh baba ganoush. There’s also Nicaraguan tahini and sesame oil, and all natural cookies, spices, nuts, and all sorts of other stuff. And there is almost always extra produce for sale. The price of the eco-canasta fluctuates, but if you bring your own bag they give you a C$ 10 discount. They will also pay you for used glass jars.
Casa Abierta, in addition to its food service, also has a pool, scheduled yoga classes, and a massage parlor. You will have to arrange for a massage ahead of time, but I know the masseur and he is excellent. Here is his company’s Facebook page:
Azul Tranquilo Wellness Center
